JOIN USThe BJP on Thursday defended its stalling Parliament proceedings during the just-ended monsoon session, contending that the Congress had launched a similar drive over the coffin scam during the NDA regime a decade ago.
“I would like to remind the prime minister that when he was the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, they had stalled Parliament over the Tehelka issue. Even over the coffin scam, they stalled Parliament and called us coffin thieves,” said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj.
After the monsoon session of Parliament ended on Friday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed his dismay on “the BJP-led Opposition’s obstructionist politics” by refusing to allow both Houses to function, that amounted to “total negation” of democracy.
Swaraj also said at times the “comatose” stage of Houses is effective in conveying a message to the people.
“The Parliament ran for a week and discussed the Assam violence, but Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s response to the debate was condemnable, as he read out only a suo motu statement prepared before the debate,” she said. “UPA wanted to end commotion in the House by holding a debate, either under an adjournment motion, rule 184, or rule 93.”