MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday slammed the Central government for not holding the winter session of Parliament due to COVID-19 and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implementing the Gujarat model in the national capital.
NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged that the government is trying to run away from the discussion and not letting opposition speak on the issue of COVID-19 and farmers' agitation.
"To avoid discussion on COVID-19 and farmers' agitation, the Central government is not holding Parliament's winter session this time and directly going for the budget session. This decision clearly shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implementing the Gujarat model in the national capital," Malik told ANI.
"In Gujarat also, when Modi was Chief Minister, he used to avoid Vidhan Sabha sessions, the same model is being implemented in Delhi too," he added.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi has said that he has informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and opined of doing away with Winter Session of the Parliament. The Minister said this in a letter dated December 14, 2020, addressed to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who on December 3 wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for convening a short winter session of Parliament.
On Tuesday, Joshi told ANI that the government is prepared for a debate on all issues and it would be appropriate to have a full-fledged budget session.
The Minister said the government is of view that there should be no curtailing of the budget session. He said the government is willing to discuss the issues that the Congress and other opposition parties want to raise.