Congress kept petty politics above national interest: Jaitley

Government today accused Congress of being "irresponsible" for not allowing Home Minister Rajnath Singh to make a statement in Rajya Sabbha on the Gurdaspur terrorist attack, which it said had originated from Pakistan.

Attacking Congress, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the opposition party, due to its "petty" politics, presented the country as a "divided" house by not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the cross-border terror incident.

He also slammed Congress leaders for giving contrarian statements on 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon's death sentence, which was upheld by Supreme Court, saying it is "a cause of concern" and demanded that its president Sonia Gandhi explain to the country the party's stand on this.

Jaitley also said that the evidence that the Gurdaspur attack was from across the border is "overwhelmingly conclusive", but refused to say whether dialogue with Pakistan was still possible after this.

"That is a view the government will take and the External Affairs Ministry will take. I would not like to comment on this. That is part of a diplomatic strategy. But, the evidence that it's an attack from across the border now appears to be overwhelmingly conclusive," he said, when asked if the disalogue with the neighbouring country was possible.

Attacking Congress, the Finance Minister said, "The irresponsible statements which have come from some Congress leaders with regard to the punishment given to the accused of the 1993 Mumbai blasts also raises a cause of concern."

He said mainstream national parties are expected to react in a responsible manner and are not expected to show the country as a divided house.

"At least they should have spoken in one voice on an issue like national security. We expect the Congress will once again review its negative and irresponsible behaviour," he said, adding, the party's leadership has "failed the test".

Jaitley expected Sonia Gandhi to clarify before the whole country as to why its party is not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the issue of national security, particularly in the wake of the Gurdaspur incident.

"...to explain how its leaders, some of whom have come out with contrarian statements with regard to the punishment given by the judicial process in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case," he said. 

Jaitley lamented that it was the country's "misfortunate" that leaders of Congress were giving statements that were "politically motivated" on an incident like the 1993 Mumbai terror attacks, which is an important terror incident in which 257 persons lost their lives and several hundreds injured.

He said on a day when the whole country should have spoken in one voice and stood together, he said it was not expected of the principal opposition party to present India as a divided house.

Regrettably, instead of allowing a discussion and asking clarifications, Congress has chosen to disturb the proceedings in Parliament on account of its "own small and petty interests", he said.

"We expect Sonia Gandhi to explain why Congress does not want a discussion in Parliament on the Gurdaspur terrorist incident. Does the party's small and petty politics hold more importance than the country's national security?" he asked.

"Congress, instead of giving importance to national security, gave priority to its petty politics and prevented a discussion on the issue. It is clear that a serious issue like national security is not an issue of priority for Congress," he said, adding that the opposition party prevented the people of India from knowing how their political leaders in Parliament react to such incidents.

Terming the cross-border terrorist attack at Gurdaspur as a "very serious incident", he said when the Home Minister was to make a detailed statement in Rajya Sabha on it, it was extremely important for Parliament to discuss it.

"I feel today Congress had an opportunity to display responsible behaviour. It was an occasion when issues of national security are involved, they should have risen to a level of statesmanship. Regrettably, they have failed that test," the Minister said.

Asked if he was hopeful of getting the tax reform legislation, the GST Bill, passed in Parliament, he said, it was Congress which had brought this law and the question should be posed to those obstructing it.

"Such questions should be posed to those trying to create such obstructions that cause loss to the national economy," he said.

On government's strategy ahead in Parliament, he said it is for Congress to decide that if had to protest it almost spent two weeks in its "somewhat symbolic protest".

"Therefore, it is about time that Parliament should be allowed to function," the Minister said.