Unfazed by Sushma Swaraj's spirited fightback, Rahul Gandhi today said the External Affairs Minister should reveal how much money she and her family received from the former IPL boss Lalit Modi and asked why she had helped the "symbol of black money" on the sly.
Participating in the discussion in Lok Sabha on the adjournment motion on the issue, Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he has not come to the House as he "does not have guts to sit in the chair and face us and answer the questions raised by us".
He said the problem with this government was that it does not want to see, hear or speak out the truth, "like Mahatma Gandhi's three monkeys."
"There are many people who do humanitarian work, but Sushma Swaraj is the first such person who does so silently. I want to ask Sushmaji only one question, how much money she and her family received from Lalit Modi. How much money has she received to save the symbol of black money and why she helped him on the sly," he said in his short intervention.
Rahul also attacked the Prime Minister over his promise of bringing back black money and asked when the promised Rs 15 lakh would be deposited in the bank accounts of all Indians, as the Indian public had reposed faith in him.
He also hit out at Modi's 'na khaunga, na khaane doonga' (I will neither take bribe, nor let anyone do so) statement, saying the Prime Minister had not kept his promise and has remained silent on the irregularities of his ministers.
"Today, he (PM) does not have the guts to sit in the chair and answer our questions. He does not have the guts to face us," Rahul said, asking the Prime Minister to speak out as the country wanted to hear him.
He told the PM "these people are not showing you the right way. These people are harming your interests. You should speak out as the country wants to hear you."
Quoting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who termed the business relationship between Vasundhara Raje and Lalit Modi as "commercial transaction", he said in a business deal, one is a beneficiary and asked who was the beneficiary in this case.
As the Congress vice president attacked the government, BJP members kept shouting at a high pitch, prompting Rahul to hit back saying, "the Congress Party will not remain quiet, it cannot be silenced. Congress will keep raising its voice".
"IPL is the centre of black money in India and Lalit Modi is nothing other than the symbol of black money," he said.
He also said that Swaraj had met him yesterday and asked him holding his hand as to why was he angry with her and he told her that he was speaking the truth. "Sushmaji, you had lowered your eyes when I said I am speaking the truth while looking straight into your eyes," he said.
