NDA MPs to forego salary for 23 days

Say it’s to protest disruptive Opposition

Squarely blaming the Congress, the main Opposition party, for disrupting parliamentary proceedings for three weeks, due to which several important laws could not be passed, MPs of the BJP and all parties in the NDA fold have decided to forego their salaries and allowances for 23 days of Parliament as a mark of protest against the disruptive tactics of the Opposition parties.

Parliamentary affairs and chemical and fertilisers minister Ananth Kumar said at a hurriedly-called press conference late on Wednesday evening, soon after the Union Cabinet meeting, that owing to the non-functioning of the Parliament due to continuous disruptions by the Congress, BJP and NDA MPs had decided to forego their salaries and allowances for 23 days (equivalent to the time lost to disruptions).

“This money (allowances and salaries) is given to (MPs) to serve the people, and if we are not able to do so, we have no right to take the people’s money,” he said.

Mr Kumar blamed the Congress for the logjam in both the Houses, saying that it had engaged in “anti-democratic” politics. The party stopped important Bills from being passed, that led to a “criminal wastage” of taxpayers’ money, the parliamentary affairs minister said.

MPs of the NDA, which includes the BJP, would give up their salaries for the disrupted period of the session, he said. The ongoing Budget Session is due to end April 6.

The second leg of the session, that began on March 5, has seen a continuous washout of proceedings in both Houses due to vociferous protests by the Opposition and even erstwhile NDA ally Telugu Desam over a host of issues, like the Punjab National Bank scam, special status for Andhra Pradesh and formation of the Cauvery water board.

The Congress, TD, Left and several other parties have also sent notices to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for noconfidence motions against the government.

LEADER OF the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad blamed the government for the disruptions, saying it was running away from discussing various issues, including the demand for special status to AP, Cauvery water issue, the CBSE paper leak and the PNB-Nirav Modi fraud. An impression is being created outside that the Opposition parties are not allowing the House to function. But it is the ruling party which is running away from the discussion. GHULAM NABI AZAD

Bengaluru, April 4: In a scathing attack on the BJP led NDA government at the Centre, Congress president Rahul Gandhi who is now campaigning in Karnatak for the Assembly polls, accused the Narendra Modi government of “disrespecting” and “demolishing” various institutions by having RSS men “sitting in every ministry and giving orders.” Interacting with traders in Davangere city, he said if voted to power, the Congress will free these institutions from RSS control.

Mr Gandhi, however, parried a question why the Congress party was determined to divide the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.