Prime Minister Modi, BJP MPs to fast today for Parliament washout
New Delhi: Two days after Congress party held fast on the issue of communal harmony, BJP MPs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be on a day-long fast on Thursday to protest against washout of the second half of budget session of Parliament. The saffron party wants to convey the message that an ‘adamant’ opposition was responsible for the two Houses not conducting legislative business.
However, the Congress Party has termed the fasting as ‘farce’, said media reports.
The PM will go about his work as usual but not have any food during the day, said media reports.
BJP chief Amit Shah, who is diabetic and hence advised against fasting, will hold a two-hour dharna at Huballi in poll-bound Karnataka on Thursday. Lok Sabha MPs will fast in their constituencies while the party will earmark districts for Rajya Sabha members.
According to media reports, Home Minister Rajnath Singh would fast in Lucknow and Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj would not fast as they are recuperating from illness. BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav would fast in Ajmer and media convenor Anil Baluni in Dehradun.
Meanwhile, Congress party has termed the fasting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘farce’. It said that Prime Minister should instead apologise to the youth, Dalits and other sections of the society, who were allegedly let down by his government.
Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also said the BJP-led central government should be blamed for the Parliament washout.
“This is a farce of a fast by the Modi government. The BJP should apologise to the nation and hold a fast for disrupting Parliament for over 250 hours. The Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a majority, functioned for only one percent of its time and the Rajya Sabha functioned for six percent of its time,” he told reporters in New Delhi.
Holding the government responsible for the CBSE papers leak and the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Congress spokesperson said the Prime Minister should “hold a fast to apologise to the country for the 13 banking scams, where people like Chhota Modi that is Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi ran away with over Rs 61,000 crore”.
