With the government urging the opposition to hold a debate in both houses of parliament, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday sought to know why the government has been wasting the last 16 days.
"We are witnessing for the first time a government acting as a roadblock in the functioning of parliament. I would like to ask this question to this government that please remove your mask. We have been demanding a debate since day one, and if they are ready now, then why did they waste the last 16 days of parliament," Scindia told ANI.
"As far as debate is concerned, he said, "we had asked the government on Thursday to commence a debate at 11 a.m. by removing any rule, but they did neither start a debate on Thursday nor on Friday. We are witnessing for the first time that a government is acting as a roadblock in the functioning of parliament; and we are witnessing a government that got both houses adjourned, then why the government's lieutenants are now asking for a debate?"
"They should come before the public clean. We are saying it for the last 18 days that there should be a debate, but they are shying away from voting, debating, and saying it outside parliament that they are not getting an opportunity to debate inside the House," said Scindia.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was not available in the House during the session, the Congress leader said, "He (PM) came only on Wednesday for the Question Hour and left the house after five minutes. Until the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister hear parliamentarians in the house and answer to their questions, can we say that a debate?"
Parliament will meet today after a four-day break. However, there is no sign of resolution of the impasse between government and the opposition on the issue of demonetisation.
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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday reiterated that the government is ready for a debate on the issue, asking the Congress to rise above slogans and see advantage of the decision.
Meanwhile, the BJP and the Congress have cracked whips on their MPs in both the Houses asking them to be present in Parliament for the next three days.