Mayawati hits back at Modi for blaming oppn for Parl blockade

Mayawati said Modi was harping on the same tune and his speech at BJP's Parivartan Yatra in Bahraich, addressed through mobile phone from Lucknow, was no different.

Lucknow, Dec 11 Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged opposition parties with trying to "suppress" truth by blocking debate in Parliament on the note ban issue, BSP supremo Mayawati today said it was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

"By blaming opposition parties, the prime minister is running away from government's responsibility and answerability...But his remarks are totally wrong. 'yeh ulta chor kotwal to dantey jaisa hai' (it is like pot calling kettle black)," she said in a statement.

Mayawati said Modi was harping on the same tune and his speech at BJP's Parivartan Yatra in Bahraich, addressed through mobile phone from Lucknow, was no different.

The BSP chief was referring to Modi's remark that since he was not allowed to speak in Parliament by opposition parties, he was compelled to speak outside on demonetisation.

"It is absolutely wrong on the part of the prime minister to say like this," she said.

"This is a wrong statement and does not behove the leader of the party in majority in Parliament to speak like this and mislead people," she said.

Mayawati said when the prime minister of a country accuses the opposition of not allowing him to speak in Parliament, it is a charge against him and not against the opposition.

As Parliament remained deadlocked over demonetisation, Modi today came down heavily on opposition, describing them as "discarded" parties trying to "suppress" truth. "Parliament is not being allowed to function for 20 days. We are ready for debate (on demonetisation), but we are not being allowed to present our view point by those very parties that have been discarded by the electorate," he said.

"They (opposition) come to the Well of the House...throw paper at the Speaker, we want to put forth government's view point...by they are not allowing us to do so...in a way they are trying to suppress the truth," Modi said, and also accused rival parties SP and BSP of talking in similar refrain against note ban.

PTI