Venkaiah Naidu accused Congress of taking a U-turn after initially agreeing to a debate on demonetisation
Congress and its allies do not want Parliament to function and were shying away from a debate on demonetisation as the poor look at Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "messiah" after the decision, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
Attacking the opposition as both the Houses faced adjournment due to their noisy protests, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said Congress was "rattled" by smooth functioning of the Rajya Sabha yesterday as it was not interested in a fruitful discussion.
Calling the demonetisation measure a "national project" and massive social mobilisation, he said people's lives will be impacted for a "better tomorrow". The government is concerned over the hardship being faced by masses and taking measures based to ease it.
"Modi ji is very popular in the country and after this step he has become further... immensely popular. The poor of the country are looking at Modi as their messiah... We cannot understand why the Congress and its friends are raising a ruckus (in Parliament).
"Congress is now saying that the PM should come only then the debate will go on, demanding JPC probe. There is an attempt to divert from the issue. It does not have facts and public opinion is turning against it. They do not want Parliament to function and seem to be moving in that direction," he told reporters.
He accused the opposition party of taking a U-turn after initially agreeing to a debate.
Congress leaders are discussing the issue outside Parliament just for the sake of it and are not willing to take part in a debate and give meaningful feedback to the government to resolve issues, he said.
While BJP members protested in the House against Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's remarks yesterday in which he compared deaths following demonetisation with those killed in Uri terrorist attack, Naidu asked Congress to clarify if it was his personal remark or the party's official line.
Mr Azad justified Pakistan-aided terrorism attack and he might have got carried away in the heat of the moment, Mr Naidu claimed while appealing Opposition parties to resume the debate in Parliament.