Not being allowed to speak on PM’s corruption: Rahul Gandhi

After claiming there would be an "earthquake" if he spoke up, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged on Wednesday that although he has detailed information about "personal corruption" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he wants to present it in the Lok Sabha, he is not being allowed to do so.

Addressing the media in Parliament House after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan at noon on Wednesday, the Congress Vice-President said:

• For the first time the Government is seen stalling a discussion in the Lok Sabha
• The opposition leaders had met the Speaker and agreed to hold a discussion on demonetisation without any precondition
• He had information on the Prime Minister’s personal corruption which he wanted to place in the House
• The information he has would explode the PM’s balloon, he added

Asked to spell out the information outside the House, Rahul Gandhi said that as a Member of Parliament, it was his right as well as his duty to lay the information in the House and not outside.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar rejected Gandhi's allegation as "false and baseless" and "very unfortunate". "The allegation was made out of desperation and he (Gandhi) should apologise to the nation," he told reporters.

As Parliament remained deadlocked over the issue of demonetisation, Gandhi said, "The Prime Minister is personally terrified of me being allowed to open my mouth inside Lok Sabha because I have information about the Prime Minister that is going to explode his balloon. And I am not being allowed to speak in the House," he told reporters in Parliament premises.

Asked what kind of information he has, the Congress Vice President said, “That information is personal information about Narendra Modiji which I want to state in Lok Sabha. It is personal corruption of the Prime Minister that we have detailed information about. We want to present it, which the Prime Minister is not allowing us to speak.”

Gandhi said the entire opposition wants a debate in Parliament and have discussed with the Speaker to allow it while dispensing all rules.

"Pretty much unconditionally we are ready to have a discussion, but the government is not interested in having a discussion. I have already said it before, the Prime Minister is personally terrified of me being allowed to open my mouth inside the Lok Sabha," he said.

He claimed Modi has taken a decision against the poor people of this country and has "destroyed" millions of lives and thus is answerable. He said he has personally taken this decision and he cannot keep running away from the House.

Gandhi said the Prime Minister cannot keep "running away" to pop concerts to public meetings. This is a democracy, he owes this country an explanation and he owes the entire opposition a space in the discussion in the Lok Sabha, he said.

“The Prime Minister is worried. He goes to pop concerts and public meetings. Why does he not come to the House. For the first time in history, the treasury benches and the government is stalling Parliament. Normally the opposition stalls the House”.

With PTI inputs.