New Delhi, Aug 11: Left and other parties today expressed strong disapproval of a reported statement by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj that BJP would decide on a daily basis whether to allow Parliament to function or not.
“We, the Left and secular opposition parties, take very strong exception to the statement that they will decide or set the agenda for the House to function. It is extremely objectionable”, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told a press conference held here along with leaders of other parties.
Swaraj was reported to have said that it is the Bharatiya Janata Party which would decide “on a daily basis” whether or not Parliament would be allowed to function on that day.
Yechury said the Left and other parties, including those from the NDA, would not allow the government to escape from its accountability to Parliament and force it to commit itself on issues of price rise and corruption.
However, Yechury said, “There is very little to choose between Congress and the BJP on these two issues.” CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta said the Constitution bestows upon the Leader of Opposition the responsibility to ensure smooth running of Parliament.
“We don't want Parliament to be disrupted every day so that we can raise important issues affecting the people. It is not only unparliamentary, but arrogance and an attempt to subvert Parliament”, he said, adding that a party with 156 members cannot impose its will on 700 MPs.
The CPI leader said he had spoken to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and leaders of various parties, including NDA Convenor Sharad Yadav, TDP, BJD, AIADMK and independent members. “Even NDA partners of BJP don't agree with them.
Yadav said he dissasociates with this”. PTI
