Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the main opposition Congress Party yesterday, accusing it of “disrupting” parliament and stalling key reforms aimed at lifting millions out of poverty.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party government enjoys a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, but needs opposition support to push through laws in the upper house Rajya Sabha, where it doesn’t have the numbers.
Raucous scenes during the most recent parliamentary session saw heckling and rowdy protests from opposition lawmakers prevent the passage of several pieces of legislation.
Stalled bills include a key national goods and services tax - which the Congress Party had supported when in power - and a proposed bankruptcy law.
“Our government is trying to take steps for the poor. There are many old, outdated laws and many new laws are needed,” Modi told thousands attending a public rally in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi.
“But it is our misfortune that the Indian parliament, where laws are made, is not being allowed to function,” he added.
India’s parliament is notoriously rowdy, and the BJP employed similar tactics to disrupt the former government before coming to power last year.
Modi had taken a conciliatory stance during the last parliament session, hoping to win the opposition’s support for his government’s reforms.
But yesterday he went on the offensive, urging Congress to demonstrate “responsibility towards the people,” who elected them as lawmakers in the world’s largest democracy.
“Those who have been rejected by the people... are not allowing the parliament to function,” he said. “(They) have a responsibility to not put their political interests before national interests,” Modi said, referring to Congress.
He asked the party to make a new year’s resolution “to not disrupt the parliament”.
“I am specially appealing to all political parties. We are not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha but I am urging them from a ‘Jan Sabha’... the people have sent us to parliament to debate, consult, discuss... to take collective decisions,” he said.
“It is our responsibility to give priority to the work the people have given us.”
Modi slammed the Congress, saying the party that ruled the country for 50-60 years understood the functioning of parliament and the government and had no reason to be angry and disruptive.
He hoped the New Year would be different.
“2015 is ending today, I urge them (opposition) to pledge that in 2016 they will not disrupt the proceedings of parliament and let the country march ahead.”
Earlier, Modi laid the foundation stone of a 14-lane Delhi-Meerut expressway, calling it a national highway to development.
“This is the national highway of development... It will emerge as a major factor for development of western Uttar Pradesh,” Modi said.
He said the people in the villages aspire for good roads, as they know it is the key to development.
“The villagers know if they want development, they first need connectivity through good roads,” he said.