Seeking to embarass the government on the issue of frequent disruptions in Parliament, the BJP on Monday said anti-Telangana Congress MPs did not pay heed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s request that all members should cooperate in smooth functioning of the House. “BJP had clearly said that it wants Parliament to function. The Prime Minister appealed for the same and said government is ready for a debate on all issues. But there is difference between what Congress says and what it does. They dismissed the Prime Minister’s request through their actions,” the BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain charged. Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh, who are against formation of Telangana, on Monday raised slogans in Parliament to press for their demand. The BJP used this to target the government, saying the treasury benches are disrupting Parliament and not the opposition which is often accused of not allowing the House to function. “Our MPs were silent in the House. They even asked questions during the Question Hour amid the din. Congress MPs did not allow the House to run. The ruling party should first set its own house in order before it preaches to the opposition. The whole country was watching how Congress MPs trooped into the Well of the House,” Mr. Hussain said. In the Business Advisory Council meeting of the Lok Sabha on Monday, the BJP made it clear that it will not allow the government to pass any Bill when the House is not in order. “When Railgate took place and we demanded Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s resignation and then Law Minister Ashwani Kumar’s removal in the coal scam, the government did not agree. This led to disruption of the House and they resigned only at the end of the session,” he said. The BJP also alleged Congress adamant attitude was responsible for the washout of the whole of the winter session of Parliament in 2010 on the demand for a JPC on 2G spectrum issue. Keywords: BJP, parliament session, monsoon session, Congress MPs, Telangana protest, separate statehood, disruptions in parliament
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 17:43:21 +0000