Narendra Modi's 'raincoat' barb: BJP hits back, demands apology from Congress for disrespecting PM

New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament on Thursday witnessed uproarious scenes after the Congress-led opposition members demanded an apology from the government over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'raincoat' barb against his predecessor Manmohan Singh made yesterday.   

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma condemned the PM and called his comments ''shameful''. Opposition parties including CPI-M, AIADMK and TMC too joined Congress in protest against the PM Modi.

The opposition members also reached the Well of the House in Rajya Sabha and shouted anti-government slogans.   

Meanwhile, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today demanded an apology from Congress for disrespecting the PM and the Parliament.

"It is the Congress which should tender an unconditional apology for not respecting the PM and parliament," Mr Naidu said on Thursday morning.

In view of the pandemonium, the two Houses were adjourned. 

Setting the stage for an ugly showdown with the Centre, the main opposition party had earlier demanded the suspension of proceedings in both houses of Parliament over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'raincoat' barb against his predecessor Manmohan Singh. 

Several Opposition parties too extended their support to the Congress on the issue. 

Leading the Congress charge against PM Modi, its vice president Rahul Gandhi had demanded that Narendra Modi should apologise for his 'ugly remark' against Manmohan Singh.

It is unbecoming of a PM to use such language for a former PM, said his Congress party colleague P Chidambaram.

An angry Congress last night demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise for his "ugly remark" against former premier Manmohan Singh or else it would not let the Rajya Sabha function.

After walking out of the House in protest, Deputy Leader of Opposition Anand Sharma, P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal condemned Modi's attack on Singh as "most unacceptable". 

The former finance minister said Congress was "very very angry" over the remark and could have shouted down the PM during his reply to the President's address.

The Congress threat of blockade threatens to revert Parliament back to the chaos of the winter session. 

But for the moment, it may hurt business only on Thursday after which the two Houses go into a month-long break. 

Calling the PM arrogant, Sibal said Modi had conveyed that he would not come to the House for his reply till deputy leader of opposition Anand Sharma had finished his speech.

"He should know he is everybody's PM, including ours. The post he occupies has dignity," he said.

With PTI inputs