NDA divided on refusing salary for Budget session washout

A day after the BJP announced that MPs of the ruling NDA would forego salaries for the disrupted part of the Budget Session of Parliament, alliance partners Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party said the decision was unilateral and they will not abide by it.

Shiv Sena, the second largest constituent of the NDA, said the decision was taken without its consent and its members would avail of the salary and allowances due to them.

BJP member Subramanian Swamy too differed with the party decision saying he had been attending the Rajya Sabha daily and it was not his fault that the House did not function.

"Is it our fault that Parliament is not functioning. We have been working hard, attending Parliament daily, why should we forego our salaries for no fault of ours," Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Anandrao Adsul, told DH.

RLSP leader and union minister Upendra Kushwaha also said he was unaware of the decision and indicated that his party members too would avail of benefits due to them.

Dubbed gimmick

Congress dubbed the decision by the BJP to forego salaries as a "gimmick" and insisted that it will not cover up the frauds and scams taking place under the watch of the Modi government.

"Will the decision not to accept Rs 2,000 cover up the scams totalling Rs 2.5 lakh crore? Is this not an attempt to divert attention from the acts of corruption taking place right under the nose of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," asked Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar insisted that the alliance partners were on-board and he would speak to them to resolve any confusion.

The minister said the decision to forego salaries was "historic" and would save the exchequer nearly Rs 3.66 crore.

Each MP draws about Rs 1.6 lakh a month as salary and allowances. Of this, Rs 91,699 would be given up by each of the 400 NDA members, he claimed.