'Congress never took Parliament seriously': BJP chides Opposition as Monsoon Session heads for washout

monsoon session protest, ravi shankar prasad protest — Image Source : TWITTER @BJP4INDIA
'Congress never took Parliament seriously': BJP chides Opposition as Monsoon Session heads for washout

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Congress for not allowing the Parliament to transact business. Addressing the media here, Prasad said that it is not the Congress' value to respect Parliament and that Parliament is not allowed to function just to protect the 'interest of a particular family'.

"Congress ruled for nearly 50 years since 1947. But it is important for the country to know how appropriate their behavior is today. The Congress has a simple mantra that as long as the interest of the family is served, the Parliament will be allowed to function. Parliament will not be allowed to function where the interest of the family is not there," he told reporters.

Prasad said that the 'family always behaved in the same fashion in the past and that the family has failed to understand that the country is reposing its faith in Narendra Modi'.

"They were denying the scam, by floating zero loss in 2G, coal, and other scams," he said while referring to Congress leaders' indication that the ongoing Monsoon Session could be their '2G moment' when the entire Winter Session of Parliament was washed out.

"Fact is that they didn't attend the meeting on Covid called by PM Modi. They never took Parliament seriously. They tore apart the Minister's statement on Pegasus," the BJP leader said.

He then went on to ask whether Congress wants an honest discussion on the Pegasus matter. He said that in 2007, during the UPA rule, several important bills were passed without any discussion and debate.

The senior BJP leader said that his party is ready for a "meaningful" debate in Parliament be it on the Pegasus issue or those concerning farmers. He, however, added that the opposition could have sought clarification from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw when he made a statement on the snooping controversy in Parliament which would have led to a debate but its members, he noted, instead tore the statement. Prasad added that India has lost 130 crore from its exchequer due to disruptions.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have failed to transact any significant business, except passage of some bills, amid continued protests by Opposition parties over the Pegasus since the Monsoon session of Parliament commenced on July 19. The Opposition has been demanding a discussion in Parliament on the Pegasus row and its leaders have been giving adjournment notices every day. The government has been saying that the opposition is creating a "non-issue" and the IT Minister has already given a reply in both Houses of Parliament.