New Delhi: A new WikiLeaks revelation that the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance paid some MPs to vote in favour of the trust vote on the Indo-US nuclear deal in July 2008, led to an angry Opposition shouting down the government in both houses of Parliament on Thursday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Here's what the government and the Opposition said in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha:
Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha: It's clear now that this government survived on the strength of a political sin, a moral sin. The (WikiLeaks) cable reflects the depressing situation of democracy of this country. In the face of all we say by a majority of four against three, we will give you the names of people to whom bribe is being paid. Why doesn’t the government reply to this?
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla: WikiLeaks is not Geeta or Quran. All governments in the world have rejected Wikileaks.
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta in Lok Sabha: It's a murder of democracy if money was paid to members to win the vote of confidence. (I) would like to know whether the control room of India is in Delhi or Washington.
Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj: The report has brought shame to the nation. This government has lost the moral right of ruling the country.
CPM MP Sitaram Yechury in Rajya Sabha: This represents degeneration of political morality.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Rajya Sabha: I can't either confirm this or deny this as the missions and sovereign government enjoys immunity.
Shiv Sena MP Manohar Joshi in Rajya Sabha: This is not new to the Congress culture. They pay for votes and that is not new.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Hamid Ansari: I am following the Zero Hour rules, why is everyone shouting at me? I have not taken this personally.
CPI MP D Raja in Rajya Sabha: We didn't support the nuclear deal but the government went ahead and accepted it and earned money out of it.
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav: We were the ones who actually saved the government.
Pranab Mukherjee in Rajya Sabha: Yesterday you demanded that someone should make a statement on behalf of the government, unfortunately I wasn’t here.
Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav: One MP from our party had shifted during the vote of confidence. I am saying that he was bought. And now it is proven by the WikiLeaks cable.
Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha (points his finger at Pranab Mukherjee): You are guilty of a coverup.
Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh: Even if money was paid to Ajit Singh, he didn't vote, which went against the Government.
Amar Singh: Anybody can say things against any body. But it has to be backed by evidence.
CPI(M) MP Brinda Karat: There is no diplomatic immunity for people who are accused of giving bribe. The money trail leads to the top of the government.
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