We have a ‘PM-mukt’ Parliament: Congress

New Delhi: Questioning the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in discussions on various issues held during Monsoon Session, the Congress today said the country had a “PM-mukt” Parliament. Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said, "The Parliament session is over. We discussed many serious issues during the session. But, the Prime Minister was absent from many of these discussions. "We discussed the situation in Kashmir in both Houses but the PM wasn't there. During the debate on Dalit atrocities too, the PM was absent. He was also not there when we had a debate on Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and on the role of Governors. We have a PM-mukt, Parliament. It is a sad state of affairs that the PM says that he respects the Constitution, but doesn't attend Parliament.’’ He said that the PM’s absence from Parliament during discussions was because he was not in the habit of answering questions posed to him. "The Prime Minister can talk in a crowd, but not in Parliament. In a crowd, no one will question him. But, the opposition will.

PM Modi is not in the habit of answering questions posed to him.’’ Mr Sibal said the Congress will raise in the next session the issue of the PM’s absence from Parliament during discussions. "We will raise in the next session, this issue on why the PM doesn't come to Parliament. It is because he is afraid.’’ Terming Mr Modi’s absence as a continuation of the trend of his absence from debates in the Gujarat Assembly when he was the chief Minister of the state, Mr Sibal said the people would give him an answer in the 2019 polls. "Modi ji did the same thing as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He won't answer to the crowds or the Parliament. He will be answered in 2019,’’ Mr Sibal said. Holding Mr Modi responsible for the recent atrocities against Dalits across the country, the Congress leader said, "Modi ji does a lot of PR. He said whenever anything goes wrong, people blame the PM. On the one hand, he says that why should he be held responsible for any atrocity. On the other hand, he calls himself the nation’s chowkidar "If Modi ji calls himself the nation's watchman, then he'll have to take the responsibility of these atrocities. We want him to remain the nation's watchman and provide the nation with answers.’’ (UNI)