Congress using brutal force to stall parliament: Rudy

Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Monday accused the Congress of using brutal force to stall parliament and said it did not want the house to function.

"The Congress is using brutal and physical force to stall parliament. They don't want parliament to function. All political parties are saying they want discussion. The Congress is getting isolated. Why are they shying away from debating," the minister of state for parliamentary affairs asked in an interview to Karan Thapar on his show 'To the Point'.

He said the Congress just wanted publicity in the whole disruption episode.

"The Congress just wanted publicity. A few Congressmen came to us asking when are we getting them suspended. They wanted disruptions to block the Goods and Services Tax bill," he said.

Rudy said that even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened, the opposition would not have relented.

"The prime minister will speak in parliament only if the opposition gives a feeler, sign or indication to have a debate. Let the house start talking. Let the process of debate start. The prime minister can either start, intervene or conclude a decision. The PM knows when to talk. We are not a minority government that the PM will be scared to speak.

"But the Congress wouldn't relent even if the PM intervenes," the minister of state for parliamentary affairs added.

Defending External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, he said: "Prima facie, there is no charge against her. There is no indictment from the government, Comptroller and Auditor General, court or any other agency. What is the charge against her? Moreover, she also agreed to make a statement in parliament but the Congress is not ready to listen," said Rudy.