NEW DELHI: Dismissing Rahul Gandhi's assertion that he is not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha on demonetisation as "rubbish", HRD minister Prakash Javadekar has said the government wants the Congress Vice President to speak as "the more Rahul speaks, the more Congress will get exposed".
Javadekar said the government is "absolutely interested" in having a debate in Parliament on the issue but suggested that the stance of the Congress-led opposition was not reasonable.
"We are absolutely interested.... Now what they are demanding is that Prime Minister should not only intervene but also listen to all.
"Tomorrow they may come up with an absurd demand that Prime Minister must be present in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha simultaneously," the Minister said, claiming that even people were laughing at these opposition parties.
Asked about Rahul Gandhi's remarks that he was not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, Javadekar responded, "That is rubbish."
"Actually we want Rahul to speak more, because the more he speaks, the more we benefit (and) the Congress gets exposed," he told PTI.
The Winter Session of Parliament, which has only three working days left, has turned out to be a near washout with the Opposition stalling the proceedings over government's demonetisation decision and other issues.
Javadekar also rejected suggestions that demonetisation was done by the government in view of upcoming UP polls and said BJP was winning the state without demonetisation and would do so even post-demonetisation decision.
He also maintained that despite attempts by political rivals to "provoke" the people, they are completely with the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked people to bear for 50 days, but people are willing to give 60 days, he claimed.
Javadekar, who is the BJP election in charge of Manipur, also claimed that like Assam, his party would win elections in Manipur as well.