Swaraj misled on Bangdun, Pakistan, claims Congress in privilege notice in RS

Congress on Friday gave a notice to move a privilege motion against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj contending that she had misled the Rajya Sabha while replying to a discussion on foreign policy.

 Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said that during her reply to the discussion on foreign policy on Thursday, Swaraj had denied that neither she not any representative of the government had made a speech at the Bangdung Conference in Indonesia in April 2015.

 “We are shocked at the blatantly false and misleading statement given by the Minister for External Affairs on the floor of the House,” Sharma said in a notice to the Rajya Sabha secretariat for moving a privilege motion against Swaraj.

 Sharma also appended copies of the speeches delivered by Swaraj and Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh at the 60th anniversary of Asian-African Conference popularly known as the Bangdung Conference.

 Swaraj had informed the House that none of the members of the Indian delegation was given an opportunity to deliver a speech on the occasion.

 The Congress also gave a separate notice to move a privilege motion against Swaraj for misleading the House on relations with Pakistan.

Swaraj had said India had very cordial relations with Pakistan and was engaged in peace talks since the formation of the NDA government till the encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani. She said the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared Wani as a freedom fighter after which the relations deteriorated.

 The Congress said relations with Pakistan had been deteriorating since the terrorist attack on Pathankot Air Base on January 2, 2016.

 It said there was an increase in terrorist violence especially against the security forces immediately after the Pathankot attack and appended a list of 22 major terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

 “Minister for External Affairs has misled the House by giving a false statement on the floor of the House that the relations with Pakistan were improving till Burhan Wani was killed,” the Congress contended in its notice.