BSP supremo Mayawati hits out at PM Modi for blaming Opposition for Parliament paralysis

BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks that government is not being allowed to speak on note ban in Parliament, saying the leader of a party with absolute majority should not be making such allegations and his “emotional blackmail” would not work.

She said it was a case of the “pot calling the kettle black”. “Leader of a party with absolute majority (in Lok Sabha) should not make such allegations...’yeh ulta chor kotwal to dantey jaisa hai’,” she said in a statement.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said Modi is running away from accountability and responsibility. “He is not ready to listen to the problems of people inside and outside Parliament. Therefore, things are getting complex,” she said.

Mayawati said the “emotional blackmail” the Prime Minister was indulging in would not help the BJP and the government. “Note ban has become a problem for 90 per cent of honest people,” she said.

Mayawati also said that Modi was harping on the same tune and his speech at BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in Bahraich, addressed through mobile phone from Lucknow, was no different from his speech in Gujarat yesterday.

The BSP chief was referring to Modi’s remark that since he was not allowed to speak in Parliament by opposition parties, he was compelled to speak outside on demonetisation.

Mayawati said when the prime minister of a country accuses the opposition of not allowing him to speak in Parliament, it is a charge against him and not the opposition.

As Parliament remained deadlocked over demonetisation, Modi today came down heavily on the opposition, describing them as “discarded” parties trying to “suppress” the truth.

“Parliament is not being allowed to function for 20 days.  We are ready for debate (on demonetisation), but we are not being allowed to present our view point by those very parties that have been discarded by the electorate,” he said.

“They (opposition) come to the Well of the House...throw paper at the Speaker, we want to put forth government’s view point...by they are not allowing us to do so...in a way they are trying to suppress the truth,” Modi said, and also accused rival parties SP and BSP of talking in similar refrain against note ban. Mayawati also reviewed poll preparedness and organisation of the party at a meeting of office bearers here.