Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should issue a clarification to the House on US President Donald Trump’s claim that India had agreed to cut tariffs.

“In the trade negotiations with the US, India has agreed to cut tariffs. The country needs to know what all concessions have been made to the US? The Prime Minister should apprise the House about the tariff cuts,” Gogoi said in the Lok Sabha during a spat with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Speaker Om Birla asked the Congress MP to stick to the subject of discussion on the supplementary demands for grants.

Gogoi and Sitharaman got involved in an argument when the Congress MP drew attention to the Prime Minister’s absence from the House.

While Birla replied that the Prime Minister had informed him that he would not be able to attend the proceedings because of his visit to Mauritius, Sitharaman intervened when the Congress leader responded by saying that he had the utmost respect for Modi.

“I have the utmost respect for the PM. At the same time, I want to point out that it was the tendency of the Treasury benches to insult former PMs time and again in this House and their utterances are all part of the record,” Gogoi said.

Sitharaman shot back: “Gogoi has made some profound remarks. It was music to my ears to hear a leading member of the Opposition say that he respects the PM.” She accused the Opposition of time and again abusing the Prime Minister and not allowing him to speak in the House.

“Will the honourable member Gogoi apologise for the number of times they have abused the PM? Today, he is whitewashing all that. This is not allowed. He should have the grace to acknowledge that they have abused the PM, it was wrong and they would not do it again,” she said.

Gogoi urged Sitharaman to look into the last speech of Modi in the Lok Sabha. “His entire speech was abusive of former Prime Ministers. Before pointing fingers, look within, introspect,” he said.