PM Modi at the Parliament on Monday(L), Congress MPs Hibi Eden and KC Venugopal during the first day of the Winter session
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: Congress on Monday launched a counter attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him the "biggest dramabaaz", as the latter accused the Opposition of indulging in drama in Parliament.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said Modi has once again made his 'dramebazi' delivery instead of addressing key issues before Parliament. He said the reality is that the government has been continuously trampling parliamentary decorum and the parliamentary system for the past 11 years, and the long list of such instances is well-known.
"The opposition wants to prioritise issues including 'vote theft' and we will continuously raise them in Parliament. The BJP should now end this drama of distraction and engage in debate in Parliament on the real issues facing the people. The truth is that the common man is struggling with unemployment, inflation, economic inequality, and the looting of the country's precious resources, while those in power are playing the game of dramabazi in the arrogance of authority," he said.
He said at least 12 Bills were passed in haste, some in less than 15 minutes and some without any discussion at all, during the last Monsoon session.
"The entire country has previously witnessed how you bulldozed anti-farmer black laws, GST, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and such bills through Parliament in a frantic rush," he said adding Modi remained silent on Manipur until the opposition brought a no-confidence motion.
Congress General Secretary Ramesh said Modi never attends Parliament, undermines it and doesn't engage with the opposition.
"Yet before every session he will stand outside the Parliament building and speak grandly to the nation asking for constructive cooperation from the Opposition to ensure the smooth functioning of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The PM's statement before Parliament begins is nothing but hypocrisy. The biggest 'dramabaaz' of them all is talking of drama," Ramesh said on 'X'.
"If Parliament doesn't function smoothly the fault is entirely that of the PM and his stubborn refusal to allow the Opposition to raise issues of urgent public importance. He wants to always have his way without giving the Opposition an opportunity to at least have its say," he said.
Senior Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said raising issues concerning the people is not drama but not allowing democratic discussion on them is.
"What is Parliament for? Speaking about issues and raising issues is not drama. Drama is not allowing discussion. Drama is not having a democratic discussion about issues that matter to the public," she told reporters.