Accusing the NDA government of running away from debating in Parliament burning issues like lynchings, intolerance, joblessness and "collapse of economy", the Congress today said the opposition will jointly press for discussions these issues.
Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma accused the government of "bypassing" Parliamentary scrutiny as it passed bills in a haste, and said the opposition will not allow this, and will not remain a mere "spectator".
"The government is running away from debate and discussion on real issues. The opposition now realises that the government is neither ready nor serious to discuss the burning issues before the country which the opposition intends to raise. Therefore, the opposition will press on those issues collectively," he told reporters.
At a press conference, the Congress leader said Parliament cannot be run only for government business and the ruling party members, and leaders are bringing 'calling attention' motions and short-duration discussion, while alleging that issues raised by the opposition were not being taken up.
Terming the situation "unprecedented", Sharma said the opposition will not merely be a "spectator" in Parliament.
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He said no Parliament in the world has ever functioned by excluding the issues of the principal opposition party according to past practices and precedents.
"The government is rushing through the legislative agenda and is bypassing parliamentary scrutiny which is not acceptable," the Congress leader said, adding that every bill must go through legislative scrutiny before it becomes a law.
Sharma later held a strategy meeting of the Congress, during which the party is learnt to have discussed its strategy in Parliament for the remaining part of the Monsoon session.
Opposition parties would also shortly get together and develop a common strategy to corner the government and the ruling party on key issues.
"You can expect to hear more from us in the coming days as the events will unfold," Sharma told reporters.
Asked if there is a consensus for the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, which is lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien, the Congress leader said the process of reaching a consensus begins only when a notification is issued.
"There is undemocratic and conspicuous silence on this. We are waiting to hear. It appears that the ruling party is not bothered," he said.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sharma accused him of spreading falsehood and defaming the opposition as the Congress, he said, has never insulted the captains of industry, as alleged by the prime minister in Lucknow.
"He (Modi) should talk responsibly and speak the truth," he said, adding the Congress has always encouraged industrialisation, investment, capitalist formation and redistribution of the capital for the common good.
That has been the governing philosophy and the ideology of the Congress and its successive governments, and that is why this country has seen unprecedented growth during Congress' rule, Sharma said.
"We will challenge his (Modi's) wrong statements, the falsehood that he is hurling at us in order to defame and insult the opposition and mislead the people of this country," he said.
"Whatever they may say, the fact cannot be altered. Facts and numbers speak for themselves that it was the UPA government during which India became the first country to quadruple its GDP in 10 years. Let this be known," Sharma said.
The Congress leader said what his party highlighted was that why the people of India have been burdened with the Rafale scam, why transfer of technology has not come to the public sector undertaking (PSU) HAL and why lakhs of jobs of Indian technologists have been taken away and why the off-set which should have come to the HAL.
"The Prime Minister should answer that," he said and claimed that no answer was coming through.
"These are all the games of crony capitalism, Prime Minister for which you have to answer. You cannot point a finger at others," Sharma said.
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