Govt not allowing Parliament to function: Yechury

The CPI(M) general secretary stressed that the opposition is doing its duty of making the govt accountable

Rejecting allegations that opposition was not allowing Parliament to function, CPI(M) today said it was the government that was doing so and reminded BJP of the yardstick it used during 2G scam.

"If there is anyone which is not allowing Parliament to function, it is this government...BJP had the same position during the 2G scam when the entire winter session 2010 was washed out on similar demand ... We are asking why the BJP is not using the same yardstick when they are in power," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told newspersons here.

On the government's insistence that all matters can be debated in the House, he said debate cannot substitute investigation as it cannot hold anyone guilty.

"We demand that the minister and chief ministers against whom allegations have been made resign as per the law of the land under which all government officials demit office and a high level inquiry held to decide who is guilty and who is not but the government is not ready to accept it," he said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's continued silence, Yechury had a dig saying that he (Modi) had called Manmohan Singh "Maunmohan Singh" and now he should not take the risk of being branded as "Maunendra Modi".

"He has been speaking on all issues but not a word on corruption...," Yechury said, adding Modi had claimed that government will be corruption-free but that too has been exposed in one year.

To a question on opposition unity on this issue, Yechury said, "The only place where consolidation of disunitable opposition ranks can be visible is on the floor of the House ...Yesterday when the leader of Rajya Sabha called a meeting all refused."

The CPI(M) leader stressed that the opposition is doing its duty of making the government accountable.