Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said at a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting that the government was ready for debate, but the Opposition’s conduct in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament was an insult to the Constitution, according to some who attended the meeting.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Prime Minister reiterated that the government was ready for discussion.
“We have been saying, and Prime Minister also said today, that we are ready for discussion. But there is an attempt to create an atmosphere that Bills are of the government and other issues are of the Opposition. That is not correct. Bills also belong [to the Opposition]…Bills belong to the people of India, it is for the welfare of people of India,” he stated.
‘Making papri chaat’
Without naming Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’ Brien, Mr. Joshi referred to his tweet on Monday that compared the government passing 12 Bills at an average of under seven minutes to “making papri chaat”. It was ironic that those who did not run the West Bengal Assembly session for two days were raising the issue of democracy and traditions in Delhi. It was these people who were ruining democracy and insulting Indians by not allowing Parliament to function, he observed, referring to the Opposition MPs’ disruption of Parliament over the Pegasus issue, among others.
“We do not want to rush through Bills. The Prime Minister has also categorically said there should be meaningful debate,” Mr. Joshi said.
Mr. Modi noted that the person who snatched and tore papers, referring to a TMC MP who snatched papers from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha, was unrepentant, according to Mr. Joshi and MoS Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan, who also addressed the media.
( With inputs from PTI )
