Sonia Gandhi attacks PM Narendra Modi, says 'Mann Ki Baat' man has retreated into `Maun Vrat`

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on any issue taking a controversial turn, notably the recent ones involving the External Affairs Minister and two Chief Ministers.

She said: "Parliamentary majority does not give anyone a license to escape accountability."

Gandhi also ruled out any change of stand in the party's position in Parliament till such time action is taken against those responsible for "gross wrong-doings".

"There is a mountain of incontrovertible evidence in public domain for PM to require resignations of EAM (Sushma Swaraj) and the two CMs," the party`s official Twitter account quoted Gandhi as saying.

Besides Sushma Swaraj, the reference was to Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"The 'Mann Ki Baat' man appears to retreat into a `Maun Vrat` (vow of silence) whenever there is a scandal involving his colleagues," she said.

“No productive discussions, no meaningful proceedings as long as action is not taken against those responsible for 'gross wrong-doings',” she said further.

Gandhi said while the prime minister never missed an opportunity to claim moral high ground on transparency, integrity and accountability, he maintained a "deafening silence" on some blatant transgressions by his party leaders.

“The Prime Minister has been very free with his promises. Yet he seems totally incapable of delivering on them. On the one hand, he never misses an opportunity to claim the moral high ground on transparency, integrity and accountability. On the other he has been conspicuous by his deafening silence on the blatant transgressions by his External Affairs Minister and two of his chief ministers,” she told Congress MPs.

“Today, we have to listen to sermons on parliamentary behaviour from those who not only defended but also advocated disruption as a legitimate tactic when we they were in the opposition. Yesterday's agitators in both the Houses have suddenly become today's champions of debate and discussion. Memories are short and therefore we need to remind our political adversaries who conveniently are suffering from selective amnesia. Has the BJP already forgotten that it is the author of the “resign-now-debate-later” principle of parliamentary practice which it has used on at least five different occasions since 1993?” Sonia asked.

"We`re not being aggressive just to match BJP`s aggression of past, we are forced to take our position because of BJP`s brazen attitude," she added.

(With IANS inputs)