Not running away from debate in Parliament: Pralhad Joshi

Under attack from the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said the Modi government was not running away from debates and all political parties except the Trinamool had agreed to drop the Question Hour during the monsoon session of Parliament.

Joshi said holding the Question Hour during the truncated monsoon session of Parliament would have led to crowding in the officers’ gallery as ministry officials have to be present to assist the ministers.

“All political parties except Trinamool had agreed to drop the Question Hour,” the minister told DH terming the Opposition criticism of the government as “unfair”.

Joshi said political parties have also agreed to cut short the Zero Hour, when members raise matters of public importance, to 30 minutes.

The move to drop the Question Hour during the monsoon session was criticised by Opposition leaders.

“Proposal to exclude Question hour is arbitrary, shocking and undemocratic. It is Members’ privilege and the very life of a session,” Anand Sharma, deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha said.

“Opposition MPs lose the right to question the government. A first since 1950? Parliament overall working hours remain the same so why cancel Question Hour? A pandemic excuse to murder democracy,” Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said.

“BJP government’s decision to suspend the Question Hour for the entire session conveys just one message – even elected representatives have no right to question the government,” DMK member Kanimozhi said.

Joshi said the government had recommended to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to allow tabling of unstarred questions during the monsoon session.

“The government is ready to reply to unstarred questions. We are not running away from debates and will discuss all issues, as decided by the Business Advisory Committee,” Joshi said.