In a first since 2014, Oppn corners NDA
NEWDELHI: For the first time since it came to power in 2014, the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) appeared defensive in Parliament, especially in the Lok Sabha where it enjoys a comfortable majority, with a combative opposition launching a multipronged attack against the ruling side in the just-concluded budget session.
The Congress had made known its intentions even before the commencement of the second half of the session after it got a handle in the form of the alleged Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud involving jewellery designer Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to attack the government.
Though the NDA had numbers to defeat a no-confidence motion, the Opposition is claiming “moral victory” over the ruling side as the Lok Sabha could not take up a clutch of such notices for consideration in the absence of order in the House.
In the Rajya Sabha too, the government failed to ensure passage of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill. With its greater numerical strength, the Opposition camp continues to put its viewpoint across emphatically.
Both sides blamed each other for the washout.
The Congress accused the government of “orchestrating protests” in the Lok Sabha to avoid the no-confidence motion and discussion on banking frauds, the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, and other issues .
“All these were governmentsponsored agitations that are meant to adjourn the Houses,” said Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha.
Addressing a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged the Congress with paralysing Parliament proceedings, claiming it was “throttling” democracy and “abusing” people’s mandate.
The session also saw the BJP’s ally, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), withdrawing from the Modi government and the NDA over the Centre’s “failure to honour its promise” of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
Political experts, however, maintained that the onus of running Parliament smoothly was on the government.
“There was a clear failure of the majority party to structure the agenda of Parliament. The responsibility for getting Parliament to function is primarily that of the majority party,” said political analyst Balveer Arora.
MAYAWATI SLAMS BJP
A day after PM Modi blamed the Congress for the impasse in Parliament, BSP chief Mayawati said the disruptions were created by the BJP to escape parliamentary accountability.
“BJP knew the no-confidence motion debate would have focused on various failures of the Modi government. However, due to manufactured impasse the debate on the motion never took place,” she said.