PM slams ‘discarded’ Oppn for stalling Parl; BSP hits back

As Parliament remained deadlocked over demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday accused opposition parties “discarded” by people of trying to “suppress” the truth, drawing angry retort from BSP supremo Mayawati.

“Parliament is not being allowed to function for 20 days.

We are ready for debate (on demonetisation), but we are not being allowed to present our viewpoint by those very parties that have been discarded by the electorate,” Modi said even as the Winter Session is left with just three more working days.

Within hours of Modi slamming the opposition, Mayawati hit back at the Prime Minister, saying it was a classic case of pot calling kettle black.

“By blaming opposition parties, the Prime Minister is running away from government’s responsibility and answerability...But his remarks are totally wrong. ‘yeh ulta chor kotwal to dantey jaisa hai’ (it is like pot calling kettle black),” she said in a press release in Lucknow.

Mayawati said Modi was harping on the same tune and his speech at BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in Bahraich, addressed through mobile phone from Lucknow, was no different.

Modi earlier said these (opposition) parties never wanted to tread the path of honesty “but we will definitely win this fight against corruption”.

He was addressing BJP’s Parivartan Yatra here through mobile phone from Lucknow after the IAF chopper carrying him failed to land due of poor visibility in Bahraich, which is close to Terai region of Nepal. 

“They (opposition) come to the Well of the House...throw paper at the Speaker. We want to put forth government’s viewpoint...but they are not allowing us to do so. In a way they are trying to suppress the truth,” Modi rued.

On demonetisation, he said, “You must have seen that the government is after people who have stashed black money. The government is committed to empowering the poor. People are also taking pain to ensure that the country moves on the path of development.”

The Prime Minister said senior bank officials have been nabbed during the crackdown against black money and added his government is “of the poor and for the poor and whosoever troubles the poor will not be spared.”

Attacking rival Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Modi said both the parties are talking in similar refrain.

As Parliament remained bogged in pandemonium with uproar over demonetisation becoming the order of the day, the Prime Minister alleged SP and BSP were facing “trouble” because of note ban.

“People of Uttar Pradesh know this very well, I need not elaborate,” he said.

Mayawati said when the prime minister of a country accuses the opposition of not allowing him to speak in Parliament, it is a charge against him and not against the opposition.

The BSP chief was referring to Modi’s remark that since he was not allowed to speak in Parliament by opposition parties, he was compelled to speak outside on demonetisation.