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Opposition giving a political spin to Parliament security breach: PM Modi
PM Modi urged BJP lawmakers to continue working and respect the Constitution and parliamentary regulations.
New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a swipe at Opposition parties over their protests and alleged disruption of Parliament proceedings, saying “some people are not inclined to do constructive work”, according to a person aware of the details.
Speaking at a closed-door meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Parliamentary Party, the Prime Minister also accused the opposition members of giving a “political spin” to the December 13 security breach in Parliament, and said they “seem determined not to come back to the Lok Sabha” in the general elections next year.
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Modi also alleged that the Opposition was “frustrated” by the outcome of the recent assembly elections, in which the BJP won three out of five states, the person cited above said on condition of anonymity.
Opposition members in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been protesting against last week’s security breach in Parliament, demanding a statement from Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, and a discussion on the matter. A total of 141 MPs have been suspended so far for disrupting proceedings, further intensifying the standoff between the Opposition and the government. The cases of three Lok Sabha MPs and 11 Rajya Sabha MPs have been referred to the privileges committee.
Referring to the protests and disruptions, Modi said the Opposition would not be able to maintain its current strength in the Lok Sabha in next year’s elections if it continues with its conduct and strategy. “The Prime Minister said some people focus on constructive work while others seem inclined otherwise,” a second person said, also asking not to be named.
Pointing to some empty rows in the auditorium where the meeting was being held, Modi said the actions of the Opposition members will ensure that all these seats are filled by BJP MPs after the 2024 polls, the second person said.
Modi said the Constitution has given lawmakers strength, and that the people support them. He added that the Opposition’s agenda was to disrespect the Constitution and parliamentary powers, the second person said.
On the issue of the opposition members insisting on a statement on the security breach, the second person added, Modi indicated that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s statement should be heard by the MPs.
On Saturday, Birla told members of the House that he has formed a “high-powered committee” to review various aspects of security in the Parliament complex and formulate an action plan to ensure that the December 13 incident is not repeated.
The second person also said that Modi told BJP lawmakers not to let the Opposition’s protests frazzle them. “He said that as a party, the BJP will continue to work and respect the Constitution and parliamentary regulations and respect the mandate given to us,” the person said.
Addressing the media later, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said that during the meeting, Modi said that while those who believe in democracy should have condemned the security breach, some parties that lost the latest round of elections were speaking in a language that supported it. “The Prime Minister said this is more dangerous,” he said.
Joshi said Modi also told the MPs that the goal of some parties is to remove his government, but the government’s goal is to ensure a bright future for India.
“Some people are uniting in their intent to remove the BJP from power while we are patriots, working for the betterment of India. They are utilising their strength to remove the government while we are utilising our strength for the betterment of India,” he said.
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The remarks came as members of the Opposition’s INDIA alliance met during the day to chalk out a strategy for the 2024 elections.
The Prime Minister also directed the MPs to create awareness among the masses, particularly the first time voters, about the policies of the government and how India’s stature is rising globally. He also asked them to ensure participation in the Viksit Bharat Yatra and visit border villages, a party leader familiar with the matter said.
