Congress working under outside pressure in Parliament : Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad: Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday alleged that the Congress party is working under outside pressure in Parliament and termed its attitude “irresponsible” and “immature” to protest against his colleague Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s controversial remarks.

He told reporters here that some Congress leaders from outside were pressurising the party MPs as they stalled the Parliament after smooth proceedings on the first day when the issue was discussed and closed.

“What is the external force influencing the Speaker, ask the Congress party,” Naidu quipped when asked to elaborate on what he means by external pressure. “By outside, I don’t mean America, China or Italy,” the minister hastened to add.

Naidu took strong objection and condemned the Congress’s allegation that the Speaker is working under pressure. “They are insulting the institution and defying the Constitution. It is an assault on the Constitution and the Parliamentary system,” he said.

He said the manner in which the Congress is behaving in the Parliament shows that it is unable to digest its defeat in the elections.

The minister said the Congress itself is not clear what it wants as it continues to stall the Parliament even after the central government disowned and condemned the remarks and the concerned minister has also apologised.

“They wanted the prime minister to speak on the issue in Parliament but even after he disapproved the remarks and called upon everybody to maintain standards and desist from using such language, the Congress is not satisfied.”

Naidu also found fault with the Congress for targeting “a newly elected woman MP who comes from poor section of the society”. He pointed out that she made the remarks while addressing a public meeting but the government did not agree because “we have values”.

Naidu said the government needs no lessons from the Congress on how to run the Parliament or how to conduct the public discourse because the same party and its government “degraded, devalued and demolished” institutions and standards and values in public life.

He said the Congress never regretted the statements made by its leaders.

He recalled how Congress president Sonia Gandhi termed Prime Minister Narender Modi “merchant of death” and how the other Congress leaders went on to call him tea seller, monkey, donkey and even dog.

Naidu alleged that the Congress by raking up such issues like the minister’s remarks wants to create communal tension in the country and divert the attention of people from development.

“They are trying to accuse and defame Narendra Modi saying since Modi came communal tensions have increased. I challenge the Congress and its friends let there be a debate on this,” he said.

Communal situation has improved many times after the new government came, he said, adding that the home ministry has released the figures.

Naidu advised the Congress to introspect as it is not only losing its credibility but also the numbers. He pointed out how the Congress finished fourth in Maharashtra and third in Haryana.