Congress throttling democracy, says Modi

the Congress of taking parliamentary proceedings “to a new low” with its conduct, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said it was “throttling” democracy and “abusing” people’s mandate.

Addressing BJP MPs on the party’s foundation day, Modi kept the Congress in his line of fire and spelled out an exercise by party lawmakers and ministers for reaching out to villages with substantial Dalit and tribal population through implementation of his government’s seven key welfare schemes.

Briefing reporters on the parliamentary party meeting, Union minister Ananth Kumar quoted the Prime Minister as saying that while the BJP’s strength has been rising, the opposition, especially the Congress, has resorted to “divisive and negative” politics.

Sources said he also told the MPs that Opposition members almost surrounded him during his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to Parliament, and such a disruption during a Prime Minister’s speech was unprecedented. Modi had replied in both Houses during the session’s first half. He said he continued with his speech for over 90 minutes for the sake of democracy amid relentless protests by opposition MPs, according to sources.

The opposition has been left with no issues and that is why it was resorting to disrupting Parliament, he said.

All BJP MPs will observe a day long fast on April 12 to protest the opposition’s conduct in Parliament, Modi said.

While the BJP has been working to unite society, the opposition wants to divide it, he said.

The BJP, he said, will observe the birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule, a social reformer who came from a backward caste, on April 11 as ‘Samta Diwas’ (equality day). He also stressed on the need for all MPs to organise events to mark the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar, a Dalit icon, on April 14, asserting that it is mandatory for them to do so, sources said.

NEWDELHI:Accusing