Congress harming India's democracy: Arun Jaitley

5 Dariya News

New Delhi 30-Jul-2015

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the country's democracy would suffer if the Congress continues with its disruptive strategy in parliament.

"Congress MPs have become captive of ill advice of their leaders," he said in an interview to a TV channel, adding that their disruptive politics was harming the country's interests.He, however, expressed hope to see an end to the ongoing logjam in parliament, saying the Congress was being rejected by other parties on the issue and it was already isolated.Their policy of "come what may, you have to disturb the house", has actually isolated the Congress, he said.

On how Congress members continued to disrupt the Rajya Sabha even while Home Minister Rajnath Singh was making a statement on the Gurdaspur terror attack, Jaitley said it was a chance for the Congress to start a healthy debate on issues of national importance.

He said the Congress was becoming "directionless"."The Congress does not know where it's going," Jaitley said, adding that when their leader Anand Sharma asks questions in front of media persons, he should know that answers would come only from debates in parliament.Jaitley said disruption of parliamentary proceedings cannot go on indefinitely and has to end.He said it was true that the BJP too disrupted parliamentary proceedings in the past but it did not do so while important matters were being discussed."The BJP has never disturbed the house on issues of national importance," he said.

Clarifying on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the Lalit Modi controversy, Jaitley accused the Congress of not allowing the minister to make a statement."If she has done something wrong, she is ready to make statement... you may ask questions," he said.On the GST and other bills pending in parliament, he said the Congress was being isolated on this issue as well."Even today (Thursday), when Rajnath Singh was making statement in Rajya Sabha, it was the Congress and no one else who tried to disturb," he said.