Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 28

The Union government on Wednesday hit back at opposition parties for causing disruptions to the Parliament, charging them with an attempt to bring the country, its democratic values and traditions "disrepute".

Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur held the fort for the government, saying: "The opposition parties are bereft of issues. Why are they causing disruptions of both the Houses."

"Is it because they want to denigrate India? Is it because they want to defile the standing of the country as a Democracy?" Thakur said, addressing reporters outside Parliament.

He said the government has been ready, and wanted to have discussions in both the Houses, but the opposition parties were shying away.

He said Parliament is a forum to discuss issues germane to people at large, but the Opposition was interested in negativism.

He referred to opposition Members not allowing Ministers to make replies in Parliament and also snatching papers from the Information and Technology Minister while he was making a reply.

Thakur asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to introspect on the negative developments caused in Parliament, which was damaging the image of the country, and precious opportunity of discussing issues, lost.

Such developments never happened before, since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Responding to allegations of the opposition parties, including Congress, that the government was not allowing discussions in Parliament under Rules they wanted, Thakur said these matters are decided by presiding officers of both the Houses in the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee.