Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today dismissed as "empty bullets" Opposition's attack against government on ordinances and recalled the Emergency period questioning the "audacity" of Congress, which has accused the NDA of bypassing Parliament in making laws.
Rejecting the "Ordinance Raj" charge, Naidu expressed confidence that the government will have its "way" in the Budget session as the Opposition declared its intent to vociferously oppose land Ordinance in the upcoming session.
"These are Parliamentary dynamics. One has to face them. This government has the mandate. I am sure that the government will have its way and Opposition will have its say in the Budget session," Naidu told PTI.
He was responding to a question on whether he foresaw a troubled buget session with the Opposition upping the ante against government on ordinances particularly the one on land.
While Congress has resolved to oppose the ordinance on land in the Budget session, its youth wing held an agitation against it on Monday.
Janata Parivar offshoots Samajwadi Party, JD(U), RJD, JDS and others have decided to launch a joint agitation against the ordinances on land, coal and mines.
Asked whether the government has handed fresh ammunition to the Opposition by bringing an ordinance to change provisions in the Land Acquisition Act a few days after the Winter Session, the Union minister said, "These are empty bullets. This will boomerange on them."
There was almost complete washout of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha in the Winter Session that concluded last month and indications have it that the Opposition is not in a mood to let the government go on in the Ordinance issue.
Rejecting the "Ordinance Raj" charge, he said that he can give a list of ordinances brought out during the UPA regime adding "they used to bring one ordinance each for breakfast, lunch and dinner a day."
Maintaining that the government is ready to talk to all parties on every issue and will try to take their concerns on all issues on board, the Union Minister told the parties "let us discuss, debate and decide and not just disrupt. We are ready to go the extra mile but they are not forthcoming."
Naidu made a strong defence of the government's decision to bring ordinances on issues like land reform, coal, mines and mineral, e-richkshaw and others.
"There is no 'Ordinance Raj' at all. We are not by-passing Parliament. The Ordinances will have to come to Parliament after all. Is the ordinance against public interest, Constitution and law? We are not doing what they (Congress) did during the Emergency. And see, this party has the audacity to criticise us," he said.
