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‘Our honour intact’: Sitharaman’s outburst on Rafale deal in Lok Sabha
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an impassioned response to the allegations levelled by the Opposition parties over Rafale deal in Parliament.
During the twists and turns in Rafale debate in the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an impassioned end to her reply refuting allegations of corruption in the deal.
She said, “We come from ordinary background and we all want respect.” As she concluded her reply, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who earlier held the charge of the defence ministry, took to Twitter to congratulate Sitharaman for “an outstanding performance”
Jaitley said, “Well done! Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman ji, for an outstanding performance. You demolished the fake campaign. We are all proud of your performance.”
Sitharaman was visibly emotional towards the end of the reply after Congress president Rahul Gandhi prompted her with “unanswered questions” of the party on Rafale deal. Sitharaman objected to the language used in Parliament for herself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“My honour, the prime minister’s honour have been insulted in this House…Have you ever apologized,” said Sitharaman adding, “We feel very honoured when we come to this House and our honour is available for you to insult us?”
Sitharaman said, “I was called jhoothi (liar).Later, it was expunged but I heard in the melee that day…It was said Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman jhooth bol rahi hai. Pradhan Mantri chor hain, ye bhi is Parliament mein bola gaya. Pradhan Mantri jhoothe hain, ye bhi idhar bola gaya ((Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is telling lies. The prime minister is a thief, it was said in Parliament. The prime minister is a liar, this was also said here).”
Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi for his family’s legacy in politics, the defence minister said, “I don’t have a khandaan to boast of. I come from an ordinary background. I come from a middle-class family. I come with my honour intact. The prime minister comes from a very low, poor economic background. He has come up with hard-work. His name is untarnished till today. He is not corrupt.”
“Just have my khandaan name next to us, it does not give a right to anybody to call the prime minister chor…And, when I stood to defend, your entire party drowned me down that day, on the vote of confidence day,” Sitharaman said.
She also said that the Congress allowed the name-calling go on. “There was no attempt by the Congress leadership to stop their members from calling us like that, from throwing (paper) aeroplanes at us, from sitting and heckling at us, from hugging the prime minister and winking there…Is this not insulting,” said Sitharaman.
Later, Rahul Gandhi said that the defence minister did not answer the questions he had posed to her. He said, “I asked them if the people involved in the negotiations objected to this bypass surgery, yes or no? Instead of answering this, she ran away.”
