CPI MP Binoy Viswam on Sunday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending the all-party meeting and said that he has made Parliament "ornamental".
Leaders of various parties attended the meeting convened by the government in the Parliament House annex to discuss the issues to be taken up during the Monsoon session and seek their cooperation for the smooth functioning of both houses. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal were also present.
"PM did not attend the all-party meetings even for namesake. He does pooja, prohibited for others. He makes Parliament ornamental. We will raise people's issues, such as Agnipath, price rise, woman reservation, Srilanka, and economic crisis. ED raj, Forest rules (sic). "Prohibitory circulars will fail," said Viswam in a tweet. The Monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 18 and will end on August 12.
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On criticism over the absence of the prime minister from the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joshi said, "The prime minister never attended all-party meetings before 2014 when the Congress was in power... It was his (Modi's) good gesture to do this in 2014. They are trying to make an issue that is a non-issue. Our senior colleague Rajnath Singh and deputy leader of the house chaired the meeting," he said.
"We are open to discussion on all issues under the rules and procedures of parliament," Joshi said when asked about the opposition demand on the Agnipath scheme.
