BJP slams Rahul Gandhi, says MPs with "low attendance can't question" PM

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi for taunting Narendra Modi over his silence in Parliament on the government's demonetisation drive and alleged that the Congress vice-president being unserious about parliamentary proceedings courtesy his low attendance in the House has no right to question the Prime Minister.

"Who is questioning, that MP whose attendance in Lok Sabha is 40 percent, while other MPs from UP have attendance of 90 percent. This shows how serious he is about the proceedings of the Parliament," BJP leader Anurag Thakur told ANI.

Thakur said the Congress Party is just trying to portray that they are more concerned about the poor.

"I challenge him to have a debate with me. I am ready to answer all his questions. Dealing with Prime Minister Modi is out of question right now," he said.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi for not steering clear of the debate on demonetisation yet, the Congress vice-president earlier in the day said that he was waiting to see what "new emotion" will he express over the matter now as his expressions outside the Parliament exposes his nervousness.

"He was earlier laughing and then he cried outside the Parliament, he should come in house and then we will see what new emotion he will show us here," Gandhi told the media outside Parliament.

Defending the Centre over the demonetisation drive, Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day said the move had empowered the common man in the fight against black money, while taking a swing at the opposition and critics saying they were flustered as they were caught off guard.

"Those criticising the demonetisation move don't have problem with government's preparedness; they have problem that they didn't get time to prepare," the Prime Minister said.

"The common citizen of India has become a soldier against corruption and black money," he added while stressing on the need for India to move towards a cashless society.