PM to lead BJP’s fast against House washout

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will observe a day-long fast on April 12 to protest against the “washout” of Budget Session of Parliament. While the Prime Minister will observe the-day long fast with BJP MPs in Delhi, Amit Shah will hold a sit-in at Hubli in poll-bound Karnataka on the same day.

However, while observing the fast, Modi will not disturb his daily official routine of meeting people and officials and clearing files, sources said. A senior BJP leader said the Prime Minister will work in his office but will not eat anything.

The BJP holds Opposition solely responsible for disruptions in Parliament, which led to complete “washout”, especially in the second half of the Budget Session.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday led a similar protest fast against the BJP-led Government at the Centre to promote peace and communal harmony.

On Wednesday, a day before the fast, Modi will address all MPs through video-conferencing as they hold “Samata Diwas” in their respective constituencies on the occasion of Jyotiba Phule birth anniversary. With Opposition parties targeting the Government over Dalit protests, the BJP MPs and other leaders will spend a night between April 14 and May 5 in over 20,844 villages with over 50 per cent population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to inform the masses about the Centre’s various measures aimed at their welfare.

This year’s Budget Session has been the worst when it comes to productivity in the last eight years and the BJP has put the blame on the Congress for stopping deliberation in both Houses. In the Budget Session, which concluded on Friday (April 6), the Lok Sabha spent just 1 per cent of its allotted time on legislative business while the Rajya Sabha spent 6 per cent. In all, 250 hours were wasted while issues like the PNB scam and alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act couldn’t come up for discussion.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had on Saturday (April 7) written to Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, urging the latter to convene a special two-week session in May-June to make up for time lost during the Budget Session, which was marred by disruptions.

Addressing the BJP MPs on Friday last week, Modi had accused the Opposition, particularly the Congress, of practising divisive politics and said that the BJP MPs will observe a fast on April 12 to protest the impasse in Parliament.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar had stated that the Congress had stopped important Bills from being passed, which led to a “criminal wastage” of the taxpayer’s money.