Congress-BJP sparring continues

New Delhi, August 14: The political battle between the government and the opposition continued on Friday despite the end of the monsoon session of parliament, with the Congress accusing the government of being “intoxicated” with power, and the BJP hitting back saying the opposition was “rattled” as the government was doing well. A day after being accused of disrupting the country’s economic growth, the Congress held the government responsible for the parliamentary logjam. “During the just-concluded monsoon session, the BJP government was fully exposed. Though the BJP has the mandate of the people, yet the performance of this government compels one to gather the impression that it might be a good opposition. It has proved itself to be the worst government,” Congress leader Ghulam bi Azad said at a press conference here. Asserting it was evident that the BJP does not believe in democracy, he said: “The party is intoxicated with power.”

“The floor magement was pathetic and coordition with opposition parties completely missing,” Azad said. The BJP hit back, saying the Congress was practicing disruptive politics because it was rattled to see the rendra Modi government “doing so well”. “Last budget session (of parliament) was very successful. Many important bills were passed, and it was then (when) Rahul Gandhi thought that bills were being passed and the government was already doing well, so take up issues to disrupt the house,” union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said. The minister said there was no need for the BJP to take lessons from the Congress on democracy. Targeting Sonia Gandhi, the BJP leader said it was for the first time that a chief of a political party came near the speaker’s poduim.

“There have been many leaders, but they never came to the well of the house while protesting,” he said. No major legislative business could be transacted in either house of parliament since July 21, when it convened, till August 13, when it was adjourned sine die. Azad said the BJP-led government “perhaps thinks that decisive electoral mandate automatically authorises it to brazenly ignore the opposition and forget the niceties and decencies of parliamentary democracy.

“That is why it seems to bulldoze the parliament and brazen out most defiantly, notwithstanding the outrage and uneasiness in the country.” The Congress leader said that so far it was amply clear that the BJP government was more focused on defaming, maligning and ridiculing the opposition and to achieve this end, it uses all means and forums. Asked about the BJP’s announcement to send a minister each for four Congress MPs to counter the party at the grassroots level, Azad said: “The ministers have been elected to govern and not just counter the opposition. This shows the vengeful attitude of the government.” Azad also ridiculed the ‘save democracy march’ held by the tiol Democratic Alliance on Thursday, saying the ruling alliance was trying to mislead the people. “It is no secret that the BJP does not believe in democracy and democratic traditions. Rather, it owes its origin to a fascist philosophy and anti-democratic mindset,” he said. Congress leader of the house in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress decided to walk out when Fince Minister Arun Jaitley was giving a reply to the adjournment motion on the Lalit Modi issue as the Congress members were sure of not being given a chance to explain their position. (IANS)

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