Government Enjoying Majority Gained By Efforts Of BJP Veterans: Digvijaya Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading a majority government in Lok Sabha is the result of the efforts of BJP veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh today said.

Citing Mr Advani's rare outburst in the House on repeated disruption of parliamentary proceedings over demonetisation, he said the BJP veteran is "hurt" by Mr Modi's way of working - "not consulting others".

The Congress general secretary said Mr Advani's contribution in Jan Sangha, Janata Party and BJP is comprehensive and cannot be ignored.

"It is the result of the Atal-Advani team that Modi has been able to become the Prime Minister of a majority government," Mr Singh said.

He said the kind of treatment meted out to Mr Advani is known to everybody.

"The way Modi ji is having his way on everything and taking decisions without consulting others has left Advani ji pained."

Mr Advani on Wednesday blamed both the ruling and Opposition benches for the continued deadlock in parliamentary proceedings and even pulled up the Speaker and Parliamentary Affairs Minister for "not running the House".

When asked about President Pranab Mukherjee expressing anguish over paralysis in Parliament, Mr Singh said, "It (the government) does not want any discussion on demonetisation in the House. There is so much chaos due to the move and the government is caught in its own plan. That is why it is shying away from discussion and indulging in rhetorics to obstruct the course of the discussion."

In a stinging attack on the Opposition, Mr Mukherjee had on Thursday remarked that Parliament is not a place for dharna and disruption which amounts to "gagging of majority" by the minority.

"The Modi government is finding itself caught in its own demonetisation decision and is therefore trying to create situations in which discussions cannot be held," Mr Singh claimed.