Don’t expect Oppn to bend over backwards, Cong tells PM

Signalling that the upcoming Budget session of Parliament could be stormy, the Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not expect the Opposition to “bend over backwards” when “so many charges are in public domain”.

Accusing the Prime Minister of “completely and absolutely failing to show statesmanship” in ensuring smooth conduct of Parliament, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said the government is trying to browbeat the Opposition, charging it with disrupting House proceedings.

“It is the responsibility of the government to run Parliament. It is their responsibility to reach out to the Opposition and try and establish a modus-vivendi conducive for smooth functioning of the House and the Prime Minister has completely and absolutely failed to show that statesmanship,” he said. Tewari said, in this backdrop, for the PM to expect that the Opposition will “bend over backwards, especially when there are so many charges in the public domain, I guess it is possibly expecting too much”.

The Congress’ statement comes at a time when the Opposition is on the offensive over the Gujarat land deal issue and has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and sought a clarification from the Prime Minister. 

It has also sought a Supreme Court-monitored SIT probe into all land deals during Narendra Modi’s tenure as the Gujarat Chief Minister.