While the government has more responsibility in enabling normal functioning of Parliament, Modi reminded the Opposition that they also have the same responsibility.
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In the first meeting with NDA constituent leaders after coming to power, BJP also saw the alliance leaders voicing the need for a better communication on contentious issues like Land Bill. Expectations are low over the government’s ability to push through key bills as its mettle will be tested by disruptive opposition parties due to recent political controversies such as the Vyapam scam and the Lalit Modi issue.
Led by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Amarinder Singh, hundreds of workers marched from the IYC office to Parliament gate.
Yechury meanwhile said a discussion cannot replace investigation and hence there can’t be a debate without the ministers concerned resigning. BJP veteran L.K. Advani too was raising similar issues and the party should realise it, he said.
Reported by CNN-IBN news channel, Swaraj has said she will speak on the issue in Lok Sabha.
While Swaraj and Raje are under fire for helping tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi, who faces an Enforcement Department probe for alleged money laundering and forex violations, Chouhan is under pressure to quit over the Vyapam admission and recruitment scandal. “The choice is theirs”, the leader said.
Rejecting their demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said: “There is no question of accepting an ultimatum from anybody; nobody can dictate to the parliament“. “But they are not ready for it because they do not have any material (in their hands)”, he said.
“The job of parliament is to make the government accountable”.
When the House re-assembled, Mr Sharma clarified that his notice was for the suspension of the business to discuss the Prime Minister’s response to the demand of fixing accountability in the Lalit Modi matter.
“Pomposity without fact is not acceptable…” If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also called a meeting of chief ministers on the same issue, which, incidentally, was boycotted by Congress-ruled states as well as UP and West Bengal.
“Five Ministers of Kerala government are being prosecuted”, he went on to say.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley meanwhile, put in his best Kapil Sibal impression, arguing that nothing had gone wrong because the Opposition couldn’t pinpoint the legal provision that had been violated. They don’t want a discussion.
The house was adjourned for the day after repeated protests.
–11:10 am: Congress members in the Lok Sabha are wearing black bands to register protest against government.
As Congress and opposition members continued the uproar and indulged in heated exchanges with members of the treasury benches, the Chairman adjourned the House again for half an hour.
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“The matters, though important enough, do not warrant interruption of business of the day”.
