The Congress has adopted an undemocratic policy of “punish first, debate later”; instead, a debate should be held in the House on the alleged scams raised by it for seeking the resignations of a Union Minister and two Chief Ministers, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told The Hindu in an interview on Sunday.
While admitting that many Opposition parties do not want to be seen siding with the government, “a lot of them are still of the view that Parliament should function”. “We are banking on that sentiment. We are expecting that Parliament will function in the coming week,” Mr. Naqvi said ahead of an all-party meeting on Monday.
Web of liesDefending Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Mr. Naqvi said: “The Congress has created a web of lies and it does not want the myths to be dispelled. Our request [to the party] is come on the floor of the House, we will give satisfactory replies.”
False sense of strengthWhile he said that the government was making continuous efforts to reach out to the Opposition — a claim contested by the Congress — to end the logjam in Parliament, Mr. Naqvi remained severely critical of the principal Opposition party. “The Congress has jumped into protests in Parliament without planning an exit route. It is caught in a situation of its own making,” Mr. Naqvi said. “Inside Parliament, five members are enough to stall proceedings. The Congress has a false sense of its strength because they have succeeded in disrupting Parliament … The people will make them pay for this.”
With barely any business being conducted in Parliament since the Monsoon Session began on July 21, the Minister said the government was continuing its efforts to resolve the situation. The government had called a meeting of all parties on Monday afternoon. Union Parliamentary Affairs Ministry M. Venkaiah Nadiu expressed dismay on Friday that the session might get washed out if the disruptions continued.
“An all-party meeting was convened before the session began where the Congress raised the issues [Lalitgate and Vyapam scam]. Without any delay and hesitation we told them that we are ready for a debate and discussion,” Mr. Naqvi said. “The demand for the resignations of the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is related to the States. There was pressure from our own MPs that if State issues are going to be raised, then we should also debate all scams in the Congress-led States,” he said adding that the government had offered discussions within the parameters of parliamentary “procedures and precedents”.
“The Vyapam matter is sub judice and in the Supreme Court now. The court has handed over the investigation to the CBI. What more can be done in that now,” he asked.
When told that the Bharatiya Janata Party, while in the Opposition, had justified stalling Parliament as legitimate action, he said: “We had stalled Parliament during United Progressive Alliance rule on corruption issues. We wanted both debate and inquiry. The Congress has adopted a policy of first hang, then debate. Even when a case goes to court, it is examined. No one is punished without a fair trial. We are a democracy.”
No JPCMr. Naqvi dismissed the possibility of agreeing on forming a joint parliamentary committee into either the Vyapam scam or on the alleged misuse of office by Ms. Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in helping the former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. “Why will we agree to any such demand? First of all they should tell us what is the issue? Has Sushmaji provided him [Lalit Modi] travel documents? Has he been helped in the cases that are pending against him,” he asked.
In Monday’s all-party meeting, he said, the government would reach out to the Opposition for support on the pending legislative agenda. “In a democratic set-up, communication, cooperation and coordination between parties are essential. We are making efforts,” he said.
