Saying that the government's efforts to end the logjam in Parliament had gone in vain, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday blamed the opposition's "anti-democratic attitude" for the deadlock.
"There is a deadlock (in the winter session of Parliament) because of the anti-democratic attitude of opposition parties," the Union Human Resource Development Minister said. The session began on November 16.
"The government has tried to reach out to opposition but in vain," Javadekar told reporters at Parliament House soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned due to pandemonium for the second time within minutes of its meeting at noon.
"They are demanding that Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should be present in both houses throughout the debate. This is illogical," Javadekar, a Rajya Sabha member, added.
On the opposition's protest at Mahatma Gandhi's statue at the Parliament House complex in the morning to mark one month of demonetisation, Javadekar said the members were not making any real statement and it was just a "symbolic protest".
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"The public sentiment is with the government. They (opposition) don't have any solid argument... it just shows their bankruptcy," he said.
Taking a jibe at Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi over the latter's remark that Paytm means "Pay to Modi", Javadekar said Gandhi's speech writers come up with smart oneliners which are actually "meaningless".
"The other day, he (Gandhi) said Modi ji doesn't know anything about black money. Of course, we are agreeing. The Congress knows best about black money as their governments have been steeped in corruption," Javadekar said.
Speaking on BJP veteran L K Advani's outburst in the Lok Sabha the previous day, Javadekar said the senior leader's anguish was against the opposition MPs who were stalling the house and not against the government.
