We don’t need a certificate of responsibility from Congress: BJP

Hitting back at Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the issue of Parliament disruption, the BJP today said it did not need a certificate of responsibility from the Congress party.

It also reminded the Congress of accountability towards Parliament and said the ruling party wants to hold a debate on the coal blocks allocation issue only for the sake of it.

Responding to Ms Gandhi’s attack against it for not allowing Parliament to function, the opposition party said, “We don’t need a certificate of responsibility from Congress, we need conduct of accountability from them.”

After the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting in New Delhi which was attended among others by L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, BJP’s chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “the government only talks of debate inside Parliament but not of accountability.”

He said, “The government has shown no seriousness on this issue and wants a debate for the sake of one”.

“We admit that Parliament is a place for debate, it is also a place for accountability. The government only talks of debate inside Parliament. But when the question comes of determination of accountability, which is equally integral part of Parliament, the government absolutely tries to cover it up,” Mr Prasad said.

The BJP leader said the party sticks to its stand of seeking the Prime Minister’s resignation and claimed that the “unconventional” methods of stalling Parliament adopted by it has benefited the country.

“In today’s Parliamentary Party we resolved that if the Prime Minister is serious about owning up the accountability as the Coal Minister when the wrongdoings have taken place, he must take it to the logical conclusion, own up the responsibility and resign,” he said.

Mr Prasad said, “We again reiterate that Parliament is a place for debate but also of accountability. And if we want to expose the corruption of Congress-led UPA government then it is our responsibility towards the nation as the opposition, which we will continue to do.”

Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement on CAG report on coal blocks issue, Mr Prasad said it “conceals” the real issue of delay in putting in place the policy of competitive bidding.

“The statement of the Prime Minister in a way is designed to conceal the real delay committed in bringing into force the competitive bidding process with a view to favouring a chosen few who were given the allocations,” he said.

Reacting to Ms Gandhi’s attack, the BJP leader said, “We will not use harsh words but we will continue to seek accountability”.

The opposition party also reminded Ms Gandhi that her party did not allow Parliament to function for one month on the Tehelka issue and that it boycotted George Fernandes for two years on the Coffingate issue even though CBI during the UPA regime did not find any evidence in the allegations against him.