Congress slams Modi for attack over Parl disruptions

"Dismissiveness and disregard for people's issues has become a hallmark of Modiji's government. He should understand that autocracy is not the way forward, assimilation of ideas is. Modiji only speaks, he has no faith in listening to or understanding others.

"Prime Minister is an expert in one-way communication. He is a specialist in blaming others for his own failures," AICC Communication Department Chief Randeep Surjewala told reporters here.

Speaking separately, another Congress spokesperson, Anand Sharma, said, "Had the PM given up his confrontationist (sic) mindset, then there would have been better atmosphere inside and outside Parliament. Government's arrogance did not let Parliament function." 

The remarks by the Congress leaders came after Modi launched a blistering attack on Congress over disruptions of Parliament sessions, saying that having "enjoyed power" for over six decades, the main opposition has no right to destroy its functioning for "political reasons" and hold back the country's development.

Reacting sharply to his comments, Congress revived its demand for the resignation of three BJP Chief Ministers and two senior Ministers of Modi Cabinet -- Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj.

"Congress urges him to take action against corrupt ministers and BJP leaders like Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajasthan's Vasundhara Raje, Chhattisgarh's Raman Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"And, by all means, let Parliament function," Surejwala said.

He called for the government to reduce the additional tax burden on citizens while saying that the GST Bill should be passed.

"The PM should introspect as to why Parliament was not functioning. He has discarded time-honoured traditions of dialogue and has a contempt for democratic institutions.

"The PM is an expert at blaming others for any issue that comes up before him. He should not create a false smokescreen by blaming the Congress for the Parliament logjam," Surjewala said.