Congress slams Modi govt for undermining Parliament, constitutional bodies on last day of Budget session

Reacting to the passage of the controversial GNCT Bill amid an uproar by the Opposition followed by a walkout in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the Congress on Thursday attacked the Modi government for undermining Parliament and not paying any heed to the Opposition parties.

Addressing the media at Congress headquarters, senior Congress leader and leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Congress party raised several issues but the Modi government “which is drunk on power due to the brute majority” did not listen.

Highlighting issues raised by the main Opposition party in Parliament, Kharge on the last day of the Budget session attacked PM Modi for not attending Parliament. “He came on the last day, took part in the national anthem and then went away,” said Kharge.

Referring to an old speech of BJP patriarch LK Advani, Kharge said, “Congress party demanded that the GNCT Bill should be sent to a select committee because it has many flaws, but the government passed it in the Upper House also.”

Saying that Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are both busy in the forthcoming Assembly elections in four states and a UT, Kharge reiterated the demand for the withdrawal of the three farm laws.

“Even though the Congress had a brute majority in the time of Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, the party would listen to the Opposition…Pandit Nehru would take others' views into consideration to resolve the nation's problem,'' added Kharge.

Addressing the media, leader and Chief Whip of the Congress in Lok Sabha Ravneet Bittu said that the Modi government is hell bent on selling public sector companies. Attacking the BJP-led Central government for its “blind disinvestment drive”, Bittu said that due to the government’s flawed policies, the unorganized sector is reeling under economic stress. Attacking the government for rising inflation and hike in price of LPG cylinders, Bittu said, “Private companies work for profit, not for the welfare”.

Addressing the media, former Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress gave “creative support” to the government on various issues but the government, which may proclaim ‘90 per cent productivity’, has not fulfilled any of the demands raised by the Opposition parties.

The Congress party had demanded that each and every Bill should be sent to parliamentary committees for in depth discussion and deliberation, said Ramesh.

Calling the way the Modi government functions “undemocratic”, Ramesh warned that most of these Bills would be challenged in the apex court in coming times including the GNCT Bill.

Slamming the Modi government for undermining constitutional bodies, Ramesh said, “The CAG which is a statutory body has released 55 reports in 2014 but in 2020 it has released only 14 reports.”

“The way the government is handing over public sector companies, hotels, airports and ports to a handful of corporations is alarming…We demanded discussion on it, but the govt did not listen,” added Ramesh.