Ruling party provides answers, not take to streets: Chavan

Maharashtra Congress today took potshots at BJP over its proposed agitation in the state against the Opposition party over a near-total washout of the just concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament, stating that its not how a ruling party should behave.
BJP-led NDA is planning to hold protests in the Lok Sabha constituencies represented by Congress and Left parties for disrupting proceedings in Parliament and not allowing the Modi government to pass key Bills, including one related to Goods and Services Tax (GST).
In Maharashtra, where the Congress has two Lok Sabha seats, BJP will organise demonstration on Sunday.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Ashok Chavan lamented that a ruling coalition is organising protests against the Opposition.

"It's a pity that a ruling party is going to protest against the Opposition. You are in power and you should be giving answers to the issues raised (in Parliament)," Chavan, one of the two Congress MPs from the State, told reporters.
Holding the NDA government responsible for the washout of Monsoon Session of Parliament, Chavan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the leader of Lok Sabha, did not attend the House even for a single day.

Instead of protesting, the Government should have used the forum of Parliament to clarify its stand on various issues, the former Chief Minister said.

Rejecting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's charge that Congress was blocking the passage of GST Bill, Chavan said when UPA was in power at the Centre, BJP and Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, had opposed the indirect tax reform legislation.
"Blaming Congress is a false propaganda of BJP," he said.
Chavan said his party would appropriately respond to BJP's campaign.
"We will pay them back in the same coin. We will expose the BJP," he said.
He said if Modi had spoken in Parliament and responded to Opposition queries, the logjam would have ended.
Holding Modi and his government responsible for the deadlock, he alleged that "the Gujarat model" of overlooking the Opposition (in Assembly) was attempted at the Centre too.

Reiterating Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's charge that Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj benefited "financially" by helping out former IPL chief Lalit Modi, Chavan said she should resign on moral grounds.
Targeting Fadnavis, Chavan said he had failed to provide succour to farmers reeling under drought conditions and crop failure.