UPA slams BJP for obstructing Lok Sabha's functioning

New Delhi, Aug 4: The UPA and its allies today collectively came down heavily on the BJP for disrupting the proceedings of the Lok Sabha frequently, not allowing any discussion to take place on matters of urgent public importance and thereby ''hijacking the House.'' ''The hijacking of the house at crucial occasions is condemnable.

We collectively condemn it,'' CPI-M's Basudeb Acharia, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), C Kuppusami (DMK), and Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) said at a joint press conference along with Parliamentary Affairs Ministry Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi in the Parliament House premises.

The Minister said the important call attention motion raised by Mr Brijesh Pathak (BSP) and the Private Members' Bills at 1530 hrs could not be taken up due to disruption of the proceedings by the BJP.

''The Government is always prepared to discuss any matter or motion under any rule in the House, but the BJP always seeks to 'monopolise and hijack' the proceedings not allowing others to express their views. The BJP's tendency to disrupt the proceedings is unfortunate,'' he said.

Mr Acharia deplored the ''disruptionist tendency'' of the BJP and noted that even the Budget was passed without any discussion. ''This is an attempt to weaken the Govenment and the Parliamentary system.

We are the largest allies supporting the Government from outside and have our differences with them but express them on the floor of the House.'' He said in the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha, only three ajournment motions were admitted and adopted, while in the 14th Lok Sabha, so far, we have already admitted and disposed of five adjournment motions,'' Mr Dasmunsi said.

Noting that normally one session comprised of 150 hrs, Mr dasgupta said that in the eighth session of the 14th Lok Sabha, already 163 hours had been lost. ''The MPs get an allowance of Rs 500 per day plus other facilites which cost the national exchequer but without any result,'' he pointed out. Mr Kuppusami said the Government was prepared to discuss any issue in the House but the BJP was creating problems frequently, disrupting the proceedings every day. ''Every day before the Question Hour starts, BJP members are on their legs for some reason or the other, not allowing any discussion,'' he said, urging it to cooperate with the Govenment in the House.

Assailing the BJP for ''establishing a new tradition by destablising the parliamentary system by causing frequent disruptions in the House,'' Mr Yadav said that every time, a member waits for his turn to speak, the House is sought to be adjourned and discussion on private members bills is prevented. ''This is a new culture, which is dangerous and unprecedented,'' he said, warning this could erode the faith of the people in a parliamentary system.

Terming the NDA ''Nagpur Disorder Academy,'' he charged the BJP with wanting to destroy the parliamentary system for setting up a ''dharma sansad.'' Earlier, Mr Dasmunsi said the government had sorted out with the Left parties the differences on the Banking Law pertaining to acquistions and financial institutions and issues in the Factory Act.

''The Banking Bill will be placed in Parliament next week and the Factories Bill during the week thereafter,'' he said.

UNI