New Delhi, December 9
A day after Congress MP Beni Prasad Verma raised a storm in the Lok Sabha by talking loose against top BJP leadership, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to the House to apologise on his behalf.
“I was not there in the House yesterday but I have learnt that something undesirable happened. A member of the ruling coalition said something, which was not appropriate. It was said against Atal Behari Vajpayeeji. That was not required and I, on the behalf of the government, apologise to the House for the same,” the PM said soon as the House assembled for the day’s proceedings.
In doing so, the PM offset a walkout the BJP had planned in case an apology did not come. Earlier in the day, the principal opposition party held a meeting of senior leaders where it decided to broach the matter with the PM and seek an apology.
“In case we did not have an apology, we would have walked out of the House rather than disrupting its proceedings. Now that the PM has been gracious enough to honour our sentiments, the matter rests,” Sushma Swaraj, deputy leader of BJP in the Lok Sabha, said. BJP president Rajnath Singh also expressed satisfaction on the PM’s gesture.
The latter’s humility, however, had no impact on Verma, the erring Congress MP from Gonda, who was unapologetic today. When confronted outside the Parliament House, he said, “The PM is a great man. By apologising, he has given a proof of his greatness.”
Asked if he was sorry for the objectionable words he used against BJP veterans, Verma retorted “Why are you after my life to apologise. That chapter is closed.”
