Congress reciprocates Arun Jaitley's statement, disapproves of Aiyar`s remark on PM Modi

Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that PM Modi had no intention of questioning Manmohan Singh's integrity towards the nation.

Pic courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: The government and the Opposition reached a truce on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the PM had no intention of questioning former PM Manmohan Singh's integrity towards the nation.

"The statement (by Modi) did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment of Manmohan Singh or Hamid Ansari, the former Vice President. Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem and their commitment to the nation," said Jaitley, who is Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, over Congress` demand for an apology from the Prime Minister.

Following Jaitley`s statement, the Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyar`s criticism of the Prime Minister after which the House resumed normal business.

The Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad read out from a prepared statement in which he distanced the Congress from Aiyar`s statement against PM Modi saying the Congress disapproves of any attempt to bring down the dignity of the Prime Minister`s Office.

Aiyar had during the Gujarat polls described PM Modi as 'neech'. The Prime Minister had said that Aiyar had called him a low caste. The Congress had subsequently suspended Aiyar.

On the other hand, during the campaigning for recently concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, PM Modi had mentioned the dinner at Aiyar's house, where Singh was a guest. The PM had questioned as to whether state polls were discussed with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood and former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

Later, Singh issued a statement saying, “I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister.”

He had added that he sincerely hoped that PM Modi will show "maturity and gravitas", as expected of the high office he holds.

The Upper House had been witnessing repeated adjournments over Congress' demand of an apology or clarification from PM Modi.

(With IANS inputs)