Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party forstalling parliament, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday asked her party MPsto take it head-on and said blackmail has become the BJP's "bread andbutter".
With the government under attack over coal blockallocations, Gandhi said at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party herethat it was a "matter of shame and regret" that the BJP was notallowing parliament to function.
"Creating confusion in the minds of people and blackmailhas become the bread and butter of the BJP, which is a matter of concern evenfor some of its allies," a Congress insider quoted Gandhi as telling theCongress Parliamentary Party meeting.
She said that disruption has become a day-to-day affair ofthe BJP, the Congress source told IANS. She also asked MPs to take the BJPhead-on by hitting the streets to expose its double-speak.
"When serious issues are affecting the country, it is amatter of shame and regret that parliament is not allowed to function by theBJP, which is absolutely irresponsible," Congress general secretaryJanardan Dwivedi added, quoting Gandhi.
He was speaking to reporters after the meeting.
Gandhi also said that not letting parliament function wasthe handiwork of one opposition party, particularly the BJP, that had scantrespect for democratic values.
The BJP has been disrupting both houses of parliament forthe last six days over its insistence that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shouldresign after the official auditor pointed out irregularities in coal blockallocations.
Quoting Gandhi, Dwivedi said: "I have said it manytimes before and will say it again: The government and prime minister arealways prepared for discussion and debate on any issue. The BJP is mocking thepeople of this country."
Gandhi also hit out at senior BJP leader L.K. Advani forcalling the UPA government "illegitimate".
She noted that the BJP's "our way or no way"method of functioning was "repulsive" and said: "We must fightwrong criticism and negative politics of BJP. We have nothing to hide and wemust oppose them."
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari later told reportersthat lakhs of party workers would "hit the streets" to expose the BJP"shedding crocodile tears" over the sanctity of constitutionalbodies.
"The BJP has been shedding crocodile tears about thesanctity of constitutional institutions. Is parliament not a constitutionalinstitution and their stalling it -- will it not undermine democracy?"Tewari asked the opposition party.
"Under the directions of party chief Sonia Gandhi,lakhs of Congress workers will hit the streets to expose the BJP," hesaid.
Earlier during the on-going monsoon session of parliament,Gandhi had led from the front to defend her party and government when Advanihad called it "illegitimate" during a debate on the Assam ethnicviolence and forced the BJP leader to withdraw his remarks.