BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia strongly defended the Central government in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. While speaking on the Finance Bill, Scindia took a potshot at Congress over the issue of rise in prices of petroleum products, saying: “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.
Scindia was at his oratorical best while defending the Narendra Modi government and came heavily down on the Congress. It was in March last year that Scindia had left the Congress to join the BJP.
After becoming the Rajya Sabha MP of BJP, Scindia on Monday got a second chance to speak in the House. Scindia lauded PM Modi when he spoke in the first half of the budget session.
In the second half of the session, Scindia hit back at the Opposition parties responding to various allegations against the government. He targeted the Congress over the case allegedly involving Sachin Vaze in “extortion” of Rs 100 crore. Scindia’s message was loud and clear that he has full faith in BJP, no matter what Rahul Gandhi says. His aggressive attack on the Congress is being seen as his reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement in which he had said that Scindia would be a chief minister if he had not left the Congress. Scindia sort of suggested that he is happy with the BJP.
When Congress MPs interrupted him referring to the hike in petrol, diesel and cooking gas, Scindia explained the entire arithmetic that goes into fixing the prices of petroleum products. He explained how states are also responsible for hike in petrol and diesel prices. He said that the price of petroleum products is higher in Congress-ruled states. He cited the example of Maharashtra in this context.
When a Congress member raised the issue of PM’s promise to give Rs 15 lakh, Scindia retorted, “One city in Maharashtra has been priced at Rs 100 crore. What will happen in other cities and states? You’re fleecing the poor. Congress must respond.” He said, “Our government is working for the welfare of the poor. It dealt with the corona crisis effectively. Congress has no business but to oppose everything.”
Taking a dig at the Congress leadership, Scindia said that the Congress does not want to understand the pain of its G-23 leaders, let alone the sufferings of the common man. There is no denying that Congress has become weaker in Madhya Pradesh after Scindia’s exit from the party. Groupism is rampant in the Congress in MP. At the same time, Scindia has won the confidence of the BJP high command. He has got closer to PM Modi and won the confidence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. PM Modi will definitely expand his Cabinet after the five state elections, and Scindia will get a ministerial berth.