New Delhi: Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party for stalling parliament, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday asked her party MPs to take it head-on and said blackmail has become the BJP’s “bread and butter”.
With the government under attack over coal block allocations, Gandhi said at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party here that it was a “matter of shame and regret” that the BJP was not allowing parliament to function.
“Creating confusion in the minds of people and blackmail has become the bread and butter of the BJP, which is a matter of concern even for some of its allies,” a Congress insider quoted Gandhi as telling the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting.
She said that disruption has become a day-to-day affair of the BJP, the Congress source told IANS. She also asked MPs to take the BJP head-on by hitting the streets to expose its double-speak.
“When serious issues are affecting the country, it is a matter of shame and regret that parliament is not allowed to function by the BJP, which is absolutely irresponsible,” Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi added, quoting Gandhi.
He was speaking to reporters after the meeting.
Gandhi also said that not letting parliament function was the handiwork of one opposition party, particularly the BJP, that had scant respect for democratic values.
The BJP has been disrupting both houses of parliament for the last six days over its insistence that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should resign after the official auditor pointed out irregularities in coal block allocations.
Quoting Gandhi, Dwivedi said: “I have said it many times before and will say it again: The government and prime minister are always prepared for discussion and debate on any issue. The BJP is mocking the people of this country.”
Gandhi also hit out at senior BJP leader L.K. Advani for calling the UPA government “illegitimate”.
She noted that the BJP’s “our way or no way” method of functioning was “repulsive” and said: “We must fight wrong criticism and negative politics of BJP. We have nothing to hide and we must oppose them.”
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari later told reporters that lakhs of party workers would “hit the streets” to expose the BJP “shedding crocodile tears” over the sanctity of constitutional bodies.
“The BJP has been shedding crocodile tears about the sanctity of constitutional institutions. Is parliament not a constitutional institution and their stalling it — will it not undermine democracy?” Tewari asked the opposition party.
“Under the directions of party chief Sonia Gandhi, lakhs of Congress workers will hit the streets to expose the BJP,” he said.
Earlier during the on-going monsoon session of parliament, Gandhi had led from the front to defend her party and government when Advani had called it “illegitimate” during a debate on the Assam ethnic violence and forced the BJP leader to withdraw his remarks.
Meanwhile, hitting back at the government for “lack of seriousness” and “cover up” on the coal blocks issue, BJP on Tuesday said it did not need a certificate of responsibility from Congress party. It also reminded Congress of accountability towards Parliament and said it wants to hold a debate on the coal issue only for the sake of it.
Responding to Congress President Sonia 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 here 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,” 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 on Tuesday’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.
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 responsbility 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, 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 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 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 UPA regime did not find any evidence in the allegations against him.
Prasad also recalled that Gandhi had used comments like “maut ka saudagar” against a BJP leader and said, “Were Sonia Gandhi’s comments on Advani’s statement in Parliament very parliamentary?” He said the opposition party will continue to seek accountability from the government and will stick to its stand of seeking the Prime Minister’s resignation.
“Whenever we seek accountability, the country benefits,” he said, adding, “The unconventional methods which we have adopted has benefited the country”.
Prasad said the BJP has sought cancellation of the 142 coal blocks, “but the government has shown no seriousness on this issue and wants a debate for the sake of one”. He said if the Coal blocks are auctioned it will give huge revenue to the government.
Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party, a combative Congress President had on Tuesday taken the battle to the opposition camp and accused BJP of making “political bread and butter” by holding Parliament to “ransom by blackmail”. (Agencies)