Government is ready to face all questions in Parliament, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the government is ready to face all questions in Parliament, but the decorum of the House and the sanctity of the speaker should be maintained.

Addressing the media ahead of the winter session that begins on Monday, Modi said the government is looking forward to answering questions posed by the Opposition but also expects the proceedings to be conducted smoothly.

Parliament’s monsoon session was marred by Opposition protests against the farm laws enacted last year and the alleged use of Pegasus spyware. Modi last week announced the repeal of the laws and the Bill in this regard is expected to be tabled on Monday.

Modi said the measure of the work done in Parliament should be the hours spent on discussion and debate and no disruptions. He hoped in the spirit of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav marking 75 years of India’s independence, lawmakers will find ways for the progress of the country. Modi added constructive decisions will be taken during the winter session.

“I hope in future, how Parliament was run and how constructive the proceedings were should be the measure and not how it was disrupted,” he said.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien criticised the PM for his latest remarks, calling his assurances “hollow words”.

“You ran away from discussing #Pegasus and are responsible for disrupting full monsoon session. In Sept 2020, your govt broke every rule and bulldozed the #FarmLaws. The problem is no one in your Cabinet will tell you that #Parliament is not #MannKiBaat,” O’Brien tweeted.

In the wake of reports about a new Covid-19 variant spreading, Modi asked the country to be more vigilant and alert. He said the country is inching towards getting 150 crore doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.