Sushma Swaraj demolishes Cong, tells Rahul to count mom’s Quattrocchi cash

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj today made an impressive speech in the Lok Sabha, rebutting point by point all charges levelled against her in by the Congress members.

While replying to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's charges against her in the Lalit Modi case, Swaraj vehemently criticised the Gandhi family and rejected all charges of wrongdoing in the issue of visa to Lalit Modi.

She rubbished Rahul Gandhi's charge of committing a criminal act in the issue of visa to Lalit Modi and asked the Congress deputy chief to read his family's history when he goes on a vacation next time.

''I want Rahul to ask his mother why Quattrochhi [Gandhi family friend and Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi] and Anderson [former Union carbide CEO Warren Anderson] were let off hook and ask his Mamma (Sonia Gandhi), how much money did daddy (Rajiv Gandhi) take from Quattrocchi,'' she said.

''It is the Gandhi family which has the habit of doing things in a discreet manner… ," said Swaraj in her fiery defence.

"Lalit Modi got right of residency in the UK when your government was in power," she thundered. "Why are they demanding answers from me? They themselves are responsible for what they are asking...Congress leadership was divided on Lalit Modi case. One half wanted a probe, the other half did not."

"Yet, under your government, you did not order any investigation against Lalit Modi," she said.

"I wanted to speak on this issue to show that these people are the culprits," Swaraj said. "Khargeji spoke and went away and then left these people to make noise during my speech," she said as the Congress leaders kept on shouting.

Bringing up the Bhopal gas tragedy, Swaraj alleged that the Congress Party had allowed the then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson to flee to the US.

"Rajiv Gandhi's childhood friend Adil Shahryar was sentenced to 35 years in jail,"  Swaraj said. "Rajiv Gandhi had allowed Anderson to flee in a quid pro quo arrangement with the US."

Swaraj then alleged that Congress had allowed Anderson to escape to the US in a quid pro quo for the release of Adil Shahryar from prison.

She then said that it was Rahul Gandhi's party that secretly aided Quattrochi in running away from the Bofors scam. The party is now making an issue out of a non-issue, she said.

"Why are they turning a non-issue into an issue? Khargeji said that my family members are Lalit Modi's lawyers. But my husband was not a lawyer of Lalit Modi in the passport case," Swaraj said in the Parliament amid uproar by the opposition.

"My daughter did not take even a single penny from Lalit Modi in this case," she said.

Swaraj then attacked the Congress and alleged that it was Chidambaram who was involved in conflict of interest.

"I want to tell the opposition members what conflict of interest is. Conflict of interest is when Chidambaram's wife was made a lawyer from the Ministry Chidambaram was working for. Chidambaram admitted this in the House. And he said he didn't know about this until he was informed," she said.

Swaraj also alleged that Chidambaram's wife was also involved in the Saradha scam.

''I have been in politics for 32 years, there is not a single blot on my career,'' she added.

Mallikarjun Kharge started shouting after  Swaraj's speech and demanded that rule 352 be invoked against her speech.

In response, finance minister Arun Jaitley got up and said, "Khargeji has invoked rule 352. Under that rule, every sentence of his speech will have to be disregarded."