'Farce': Congress criticises PM's April 12 fast, asks BJP to apologise

The Congress on Monday termed the fast proposed to be undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday against Parliament's disruption as a "farce" and said he should instead apologise over his party's disrespect to the House.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "farce of a fast by the Modi government and BJP" on the April 12 should really be fast to seek an apology over a range of issues including the banking frauds, leak of CBSE paper and dilution of SC/ST Act.

"They have disrespected and denigrated the highest temple of democracy. So, the Prime Minister should publicly say he is sorry and that's why he is holding this fast to tender an apology to various sections of India's population," Surjewala said.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies were responsible for the disruption of Parliament during the second half of the Budget session.

The Congress said BJP leaders should hold fasts also to seek apology from youths "whose future was jeopardised by the CBSE paper leak as also the SSC scam".

"The Modi government should hold fast to apologise to this country for the 13 banking scams wherein people like 'Chhota Modi', that is, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, ran away with over Rs 610 billion of public money looted from banks."

Surjewala said the government should hold a fast to apologise "for not disclosing the actual contours" of the Rafale fighter jet deal and claimed that national security had been compromised.

Both the opposition and the government have blamed one another for Parliament's disruption.