March 05, 2026 01:25 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Defiant silence: Iran women’s team refuses anthem days after Khamenei’s death | 'You’ll find out soon': Trump hints at massive retaliation after Riyadh attack, says ‘boots on ground’ may not be needed | Iran claims Netanyahu's office targeted in 'surprise missile attacks' | India, Canada to host renewable energy summit as Modi, Carney push to deepen bilateral ties | Gold, silver surge as Middle East conflict sparks safe-haven buying | Middle East tension: Several US warplanes crash in Kuwait, says Defence Ministry | Indian defence shares jump as West Asia conflict triggers investor rush | Modi-Carney talks signal fresh start as India, Canada push to revive trade pact and strategic partnership | IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after projectile fire toward Northern Israel; 31 killed | Israeli airstrikes hit Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital amid Middle East conflict

Lalitgate debate begins in Parliament as Sushama Swaraj accepts opposition's challenge

| | Aug 12, 2015, at 07:44 pm
New Delhi, Aug 12 (IBNS) A debate on "Lalitgate scandal" finally began in Parliament on the penultimate day of its Monsoon session on Wednesday after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj accepted the opposition's challenge calling for a discussion on the controversy that has virtually kept paralysed Parliament for more than three weeks with the Congress demanding her resignation allegedly for helping tainted cricket tycoon Lalit Modi.

Initiating the debate, Congress party's floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge ripped into the government's role in the scandal reiterating that the External Affairs Minister should step down on moral ground.

" Lalit Modi has never prioritised his wife's illness when he applied for visa. It was always mentioned as the second or third reason," Kharge said as he sought to break Swaraj's defence that whatever she had done  on "humanitarian ground" was for the sake of Modi's wife, a cancer patient who wanted to be with her husband.

Khagre alleged that Swaraj's family were lawyers in Lalit Modi case and "That's why he was protected."

" The Finance Minister also never initiated an inquiry despite knowing Lalit Modi's economic offence," he said. 

Earlier, the Congress  asked that the House to  suspend all scheduled business to discuss the charges against the External Affairs Minister, who urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to sanction the request of adjournment motion.

The Congress-led opposition has been doggedly demanding Swaraj's resignation on the ground that she helped out Lalit Modi to get travel documents in the UK.

However, the Congress demanded that the Prime Minister must be present when Swaraj makes her statement.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.