BJP condemns Cong for deferment of discussion on budget

BJP today condemned Congress for disregarding democratic rules and traditions by not allowing a discussion on union budget in Lok Sabha in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's absence despite Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's ruling and said such actions were not good for democracy.
Citing previous rules and precedents in Parliament when other Ministers were present during a debate on general budget the party accused Congress of being "confused", having lost sight and running away from a debate.
"What Congress has done today is absolutely wrong. We as a party condemn it," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
Another Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy lamented that this is the first time in the history of Parliament that an important discussion had to be postponed and accused Congress of violating democratic values and disregarding the Speaker's decision.

"Congress is trying to create hurdles in the functioning of Parliament. This has never happened in the history of Parliament. We are sad at the way the proceedings were disrupted in utter disregard to the Speaker's ruling. It is unfortunate. We regret that an important discussion had to be postponed and democratic values were violated," Rudy said.
Javadekar said the Congress was devoid of issues and hoped better sense prevails upon it.

"Congress is not only confused, it has derailed and lost its sight. They are running away from the debate, which they did even when they were in power," he said, adding that it was indulging in opposing an issue only for the sake of doing so.

To support their contentions, the two ministers cited a ruling from the Speaker in Lok Sabha on March 31, 1958, where the Speaker had given a ruling that any Cabinet Minister can reply to a discussion on the budget.
"A Minister need not be present in the House, when a Minister of State or a deputy Minister attached to his Ministry is present in the House to answer for him," the earlier ruling states.