Parl deadlock: Niranjan Jyoti favours 'no work, no pay' for MPs

Ahmedabad, Aug 4: Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti today endorsed the suggestion made by her colleague Mahesh Sharma of a 'no work no pay' policy for MPs if the Parliament does not function.

When asked about her views on the suggestion to implement the 'no work no pay' policy amid the logjam in Parliament at present, the Minister of State for Food Processing outrightly agreed with it.

"Certainly, we have already said that salaries of MPs should be deducted if the Parliament does not function," Jyoti said on sidelines of seventh edition of Food Processing, Agri Business and Dairies (FAD) international summit held here.

On August 1, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma had told reporters in Varanasi, "There is a suggestion that like for the bureaucrats there is 'no work, no pay', we should implement for the MPs also."

On the ongoing Parliament impasse, Jyoti said Congress is creating ruckus as it does not have any other agenda.

"Congress remained in power for a very long time after India's independence. Now, when they are thrown out of power, they feel that their kingdom is slipping out of their hands. That is why they are creating ruckus, as they don't have any other agenda to discuss or debate," she alleged.

She challenged the Congress and other Opposition parties to show courage to debate in the House instead of walking out.

"I request them not to stall the process of development which has gained momentum during this last one year. They can definitely raise issues concerning the citizens in the Parliament. But, instead of doing it, they are staging protests and walking out of Parliament," the minister said.

"It seems they are running out of issues to discuss in the House, as they keep stalling the Parliament without any real issue. I want them to show some guts and raise issues inside the House and take part in debate," she said.

She also asked why the Congress was shying from debate when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is facing allegations of helping "fugitive" former IPL boss Lalit Modi, was ready to reply in Parliament.

"There is absolutely no corruption during our one year rule. This is all fabricated by the Opposition. Sushmaji already announced that she is ready to give her answer in the Parliament," Jyoti said.

"Thus, when she is ready to face the discussion in the House, why the Opposition is now running away? If you have raised a point and levelled charges against someone, then you must also possess the ability to listen to the answers. There is a vast difference between truth and accusations," she said.

PTI