After 17 years, Subramanian Swamy is back in Parliament with a bang. Twice in two consecutive days, the Rajya Sabha MP's remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam were expunged by the deputy chairperson of the House.
In an interview to CNN-News18 Executive Editor Bhupendra Chaubey on the Hot Seat , Swamy hit back calling the decision to expunge his remarks "ridiculous". He said the Chair was going by a rule which did not exist and that in any case it was the Congress which started the exchange by dragging in the name of the Prime Minister.
He also made clear he would continue to go after the Gandhis in the Agusta case, pointing out especially that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not disapproved of what he is doing.
"I think a case is made out for interrogating Sonia Gandhi," he said adding that the BJP wants to get to the bottom of the VVIP chopper scam.
During the interview Swamy rubbished public perception that he is the hatchet man brought in by the BJP to rattle the Congress in the Upper House. He said the party told him he was being honoured for his contribution to the field of economics.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
1. On his statements being expunged:
Expunging my words in Parliament is ridiculous, speaks very poorly of the judgement of the Deputy chairman. He has not applied his mind. Actually what they expunged is my quoting a letter...they did not expunge that part, where I said Sonia Gandhi, they expunged that.
Rajya Sabha deputy chairman is wrong in saying that I cannot name a person who is not there in the House to defend himself/herself. Even if he was right, for sake of argument only, it was not I who raised the subject, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad raised this issue against the Prime Minister, who was not present. And he said that Christian Michel says PM had entered into an unholy agreement with the Italian Prime Minister, that they would let go those killers of fishermen of Kerala, if they give data on Sonia Gandhi. Now if you see what is left of my remarks, I had said that I am touched by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad's reliance on Christian Michel. If he has so much faith in him, then does he have equal faith on the letter written by Christian Michel, which the Italian High Court has recorded, and reproduced in full? And that letter says Sonia Gandhi is the driving force behind this deal.
You relied on Christian Michel to attack the Prime Minister of India, I rely on the letter of Mr Christian Michel to say that Sonia Gandhi is the driving force. Without application of mind, I have been targeted.
2. Attack on Congress:
Ghulam Nabi Azad is not an educated man, I am a highly educated man. But I know I have to talk to them and make them understand, so I have to speak that language. If they misbehave with me, I will continue with such attacks.
Inside Parliament, I have not made any allegation against Sonia Gandhi. About the attacks outside, if somebody asks me if I said them outside, I will say yes... This is my sixth term, and all six terms I have been like this.
3. Hatchet man for BJP:
I am a BJP MP. Ahmed Patel should be the called the hatchet man because he has been doing nothing else but dirty work for Sonia Gandhi.
There is no agenda behind me coming to Rajya Sabha. When they spoke to me, they only said that we are recommending you to the President on the grounds that you have been an eminent economist.
4. RSS and Hindutva:
There is no secret about my agenda, I share with the RSS what I have as a Jansangh man, that we must have Hindutva in this country, and we must use Hindutva to make people rise above caste, region, language and everybody should have a Hindu overriding identity. Those who are Hindus, should have an overriding Hindu identity.
Hindutva is that everybody must be treated equally, all religions lead to God, and that your future depends on your karma. Even if no one speaks on Ram temple, it is still on my agenda. I am ideologically very committed to BJP agenda.
5. Evidence against Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel:
It is irrelevant whether Ahmed Patel met Christian Michel or not. Ahmed Patel is someone who said at the time of 2G that this whole thing is a bogus attempt to malign the Congress party. In National Herald also he said it was witch-hunt of Sonia Gandhi.
Right now we are in the process of investigation. At the moment I think a case is made out for interrogating Sonia Gandhi. The whole BJP subscribes to get the bottom of AgustaWestland deal. If the Prime Minister had any objection to this, he would have told me.
Defence Minister has said that top leaders of Congress have taken bribes. Investigations will take place against those involved.
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