The winter session of the parliament usually begins in the third week of Nov and concludes in the third week of Dec. But this time, in wake of the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly elections, the session was postponed.
Reacting to this, the Congress high command, Sonia Gandhi, while addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi, said that “The Modi-government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India’ Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds.”
According to the sources, the NDA government is planning to hold a truncated winter session of around 10 days starting from the second week of Dec.
Taking a dig at the Congress High Command for her remarks on the delay of the Parliamentary winter session, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that it is not new to reschedule the session due to elections. He said that sessions were often rescheduled to ensure that they do not clash with the elections and pointed out that the UPA government had itself done it many times.
Further attacking the Congress, Jaitley underlined that the Congress government had also delayed the session in 2011 and earlier also to avoid coinciding with the election campaigns. He also claimed that the winter session will definitely be held and the Congress will be totally exposed.
The Finance Minister also boasted that the Congress in the past ten years had given the most corrupt government, while PrimeMinister Narendra Modi has given the most honest government. “By forcibly saying that a truth is a lie does not make it a lie,” he said.
BJP also mocked that the allegations made by Sonia Gandhi that Modi government is sabotaging the winter session on flimsy grounds is a lie and will be recorded among the greatest hypocrisies in the recent times.
BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav in his statement said that the Congress is fearing the defeat in both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly polls and therefore is resorting to “diversionary tactics”. “The barrage of accusations made by the Congress president on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks among the greatest hypocrisies of our time. These allegations are totally unsubstantiated and a lie in the realm of rhetoric over reality,” Yadav said.
In an attempt to pull down on the Congress, Bhupendra also took a jibe on the Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and his attendance in the parliamentary sessions. He said that the attendance of Rahul was nothing to be proud of. Providing data to support his statement, Yadav said that in the current 16th Lok Sabha, Rahul’s attendance was only 54%, while it was 43% in the last Lok Sabha session. “His participation in debates, questions, and private member’s bills is negligible,” he added.
Further attacking the opposition, Bhupendra Yadav pointed out that the recent love of the Congress for the parliamentary sessions is a little alarming and that in the last three years of Modi reign, Congress has established itself as one of the most destructive opposition in the Indian history.
He alleged that the same opposition who was making remarks over the delay, last year did not allow the winter session to proceed peacefully fearing that if they do t raise the issue of demonetization, their own deeds will be exposed. He said that “Their sole aim in Parliament has been to disrupt proceedings and prevent debate. Exactly a year ago, when the historic demonetization was implemented, the Congress single-handedly disrupted Parliament and did not allow a debate on the subject, fearing their own corrupt deeds would be further exposed in front of the country.”
Pulling down on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav informed that it was not for the first time that the session was delayed, but this has happened under various Prime Ministers including those from the Congress. He further added that “In 2008, there was a break during the parliamentary session due to the state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Delhi. Similar situations were seen in 1981, 1990, 1993 and 2011. In fact, the Winter Session in 1990 began after Christmas, on 27th December 1990 and lasted until 11th January 1991.”
The BJP general Secretary surely did not leave the opportunity to attack the Congress, he termed the remarks made by Sonia Gandhi as laughable. Listing down the scams and scandals during the Congress, he alleged that be it the similar situations were seen in 1981, 1990, 1993 and 2011. In fact, the Winter Session in 1990 began after Christmas, on 27th December 1990 and lasted until 11th January 1991, Congress has always used the defense sector on its favour to fill its pocket.
Boasting about the principle of Modi government of zero tolerance to corruption Bhupendra Yadav said that “It is the NDA government under prime minister Modi that India’s defense apparatus is undergoing a complete transformation with zero tolerance to corruption.”
Yadav also did not spare the party on the news of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress President, replacing his mother and incumbent party President, Sonia Gandhi. In a sarcastic statement the BJP General Secretary said that “India’s strides in ease of doing business, the upgrade (in ratings) by Moody’s, the impressive FDI figures do not matter to the Congress, which is busy devoting time and energy to more fruitful matters such as a coronation ceremony.”