The BJP on Thursday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly changed goalposts on parliamentary discussions and blamed him for disrupting the Monsoon Session, accusing him of putting “one leader’s ego, indiscipline and insolence” above the functioning of Parliament.
Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday, drawing curtains on a stormy Monsoon Session that saw relentless protests by the Opposition over the police action against agitating students and the alleged theft of Ram temple donations, besides the passage of several key bills without debate.
Addressing a press conference on the last day of the Monsoon Session, senior BJP leader and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the Opposition did not allow Parliament to function despite the government's readiness for discussions.
Calling Gandhi irresponsible and "immature", Prasad accused him of lacking political propriety.
"I would like to repeat that Rahul Gandhi is irresponsible. Rahul Gandhi is yet to mature as a leader in the politics of the country. Rahul Gandhi is delinquent. And Rahul Gandhi has a great sense of arrogance and entitlement," he said.
"The Parliament's Monsoon Session has fallen victim to one leader's ego, indiscipline and insolence," he added.
He said that Gandhi and the opposition kept changing the goalposts during the entire Monsoon session.
Prasad said that the opposition had first demanded a discussion on NEET, then Gandhi staged a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence, demanded the resignation of the education minister, and later sought answers from Modi.
He said Gandhi had repeatedly demanded that the home minister respond to the alleged police action in Delhi, but when Amit Shah offered to participate in a debate and respond to every point, the Opposition still did not allow the discussion.
"Yesterday you saw that the Home Minister (Amit Shah) himself came before the media and said, I am ready to listen to the entire debate for 24 hours, and I am ready to answer all these issues. I will answer point by point," Prasad said.
Recalling Gandhi's protest outside the prime minister's residence along with other Congress leaders, Prasad questioned whether he is not aware of the sanctity of the prime minister's residence and the security implications of such a visit.
He said officials, including the home secretary and cabinet secretary, as well as Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, had met the protesters and conveyed that the government was ready for discussion.
"But when they were told that the government is ready for discussion, they said they wanted resignation," Prasad said.
He said the government has taken several steps on the NEET issue, including bringing in a stringent law, providing for fast-track courts and ensuring time-bound trials.
He also said a high-powered committee is working on addressing the “syndicate” involved in paper leaks.
He also reiterated the government's position on the alleged firing during the protest in Bihar.
"We have made it clear that no shots were fired," Prasad said, adding that had the opposition listened to Shah in Parliament, they would have got their answers, but it did not let the House function.
(With inputs from PTI)
