By IANS,
New Delhi: Reacting to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s remarks blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the defeat of the constitutional amendment bill on Lokpal, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj Wednesday said it was not the opposition’s responsibility to pass a bill.
Talking to reporters, Sushma Swaraj hit back at Gandhi saying the Congress was blaming its own fault on the BJP.
“We cannot pass an unconstitutional bill. If it is dear to Rahul (Gandhi), it’s Congress’ responsibility to pass the bill, not ours,” Swaraj said.
“They could not get a simple two-third majority and they are blaming the opposition. They have shown the arrogance of 273 (majority in Lok Sabha) so many times. When time came, they did not have the 273 (MPs),” she said.
“Accept the defeat, don’t blame us,” said the BJP leader.
The BJP added that it was in favour of a constitutional status for the Lokpal, but only if it did not disturb the federal structure.
“We are in favour of constitutional status without disrupting the federal structure,” said party leader Arun Jaitley.
Gandhi Wednesday morning blamed the BJP for the defeat of the constitution amendment bill on the Lokpal, saying it exposed its “real face”.
Swaraj said the BJP had not supported the Lokpal bill in the lower house either.