The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at Congress for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence during the all-party meet ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The party asked how manytimes did Manmohan Singh attend all-party meetings during his regime as Prime Minister.
While speaking to media after the meeting, Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said that Congress’ Jairam Ramesh raised the issue that PM didn’t attend the meeting today.
“I want to tell him that before 2014, PM never used to attend all-party meet. How many times did Manmohan Singh ji attend the all-party meeting?,” he asked.
Joshi’s rebuttal came after Jairam Ramesh raised the issue during the meet and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also asked why PM Modi was absent during the meeting.
“PM should have come to the all-party meeting but we were told that he is having a busy schedule,” AR Chowdhury told media.
Meanwhile, during the all-party meeting called by the Centre today, all the opposition parties raised the issues of price rise, the ‘unparliamentary words’ controversy and the demand for withdrawal of the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
Pralhad Joshi said that the government invited 45 political parties of which 36 attended the all-party meeting today. 36 leaders put forth their views, gave suggestions and demanded some issues to be discussed by the government.
“Government is ready to discuss any issue in Parliament,” he said.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, however, said that the government will present 32 bills in Parliament session of which only 14 are ready.
“They didn’t even tell us about those 14 bills. We will barely have 14 working days in session. We have to discuss 20 topics and pass 32 bills,” he added.
The Monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 18 and will end on August 12.
