Mani Shankar Aiyar compares MPs with animals; BJP fumes

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy criticised Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for comparing Opposition Members of Parliament with animals.

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Friday criticised Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for comparing Opposition Members of Parliament with animals.

"Mani Shankar Aiyar has made a comment in television interview calling Members of Parliament as animals. Well we absolutely agree on one thing that Parliament should not be obstructed, but does this give right to Mr Aiyar to call Members of Parliament as animals," Rudy asked. "Who is Mani Shankar Aiyar? Mani Shankar Aiyar is a Member of Parliament who has been nominated to Rajya Sabha and not even elected. He subsequently joins the Congress Party. I believe he has been a foreign diplomat. He served in the Indian Foreign Service for over 25 years," he said. "I am just amused and shocked what he must have contributed in his 25 years as Indian Foreign officers, the language, which he uses, the behaviour which he exhibits especially in the back drop when the Congress party is all being charged with corruption, 2G scam, coalgate and commonwealth games etc.... I think it is shocking," he added. In a television debate on Parliament deadlock over Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, Aiyar said, "There is a decent and respectable way to express one`s point of view. This behaviour of the MPs reminds me of animals screaming in a well." This came even as Parliament deadlock over FDI ended on Thursday after the government agreed for a vote on the issue both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar accepted the notice for a discussion on the issue under Rule 184, while Rajya Sabha chairman Dr Hamid Ansari agreed to a discussion under Rule 167. ANI