Parliament Logjam: NDA MPs to Forego 23 Day Salary over Disruption

Union Minister Ananth Kumar blamed the Congress for the disruptions in the Parliament.

Ananth Kumar. (File Photo: IANS)

In a bid to embarrass the Opposition, Union Minister Ananth Kumar on 4 April said MPs of the governing NDA would forego their salary for the 23 days of the ongoing budget session when Parliament did not function because of protests by the Congress and other political parties.

Kumar blamed the Congress for the logjam in both the Houses of Parliament, saying that it had engaged in “anti-democratic” politics.

The Congress, along with other opposition parties had stopped important bills from being passed, which led to a "criminal wastage" of the taxpayer's money, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister told reporters.

We discussed the issue with the Prime Minister, the BJP president and other NDA constituents and decided to give up the salary of 23 days of the part II of the Budget session. The money is given to us to serve the people. Since no issues of public interest were discussed and no legislative business could be transacted, we are returning the money back to the people.

Ananth Kumar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister 

He alleged that the Congress was increasingly becoming intolerant of people's mandate for the Modi government. "That is why they are indulging in negative politics by stalling Parliament," he claimed.

Kumar said that despite being the principal opposition party, the Congress is not playing a constructive role in running Parliament.

"Notices of no confidence motion (against the government) were first brought by the YSR Congress, TDP and now the Congress. When we are ready to discuss the motion and issues such as banking fraud, why don't they let the house function," he said.

The MPs of the NDA, which includes the BJP and several of its allies, would give up their salary for the disrupted period of the session, he said.

The second part of the session which began on 5 March, is scheduled to end on Friday.

However, Congress has contested the allegation by the BJP MP alleging that AIADMK, which is close to the governing BJP, was dirpupting the Parliament on the behest of the ruling coalition to ensure that the no-confidence motion pushed by the Congress is taken up, reported NDTV.

On 4 April, the opposition parties blocked the government from making changes to the anti-corruption law. To which, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Gulam Nabi Azad said, “While we are responsible for the passage of the Bills, at the same time, we are also responsible – and, we have been mandated so – to raise the issues that are concerning the millions and millions of people of India.”

(With inputs from PTI and NDTV.)