PM Modi is running away from debate in RS on conversions: Yechury

New Delhi, Dec 18: CPI(M) on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "running away" from debate in Rajya Sabha on religious conversions, saying he has got used to "one-way communication traffic" and not reply to anything.

"The Prime Minister is clearly running away from the debate. 'Woh jawab dene se bhaag rahe hain' (He is running away from giving a reply)," senior party leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

"Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has got used to one-way communication traffic...through Twitter, Facebook and blogs. There, no one can ask questions and you don't have to reply," the CPI(M) leader said.

His comments came after the Upper House got adjourned for the the fourth consecutive day as the opposition persisted with its demand for a reply by Modi on a debate on religious conversions which the government steadfastly rejected.

Observing that the Prime Minister was present in the House today but did not agree to reply to the debate, Yechury said, "Kaafi dinon ke baad, Pradhan Mantri ki ghar wapsi ho gai (after several days, the Prime Minister has returned home."

Interestingly, the religious conversion programmes by RSS-VHP are being called "ghar wapsi". He said Parliament or the legislature was the only place where the government or the executive was accountable to and the legislature was accountable to the people.

"That is the centrality of our Constitution, which the government is flouting."

PTI