'Being A Pakoda Seller Better Than Being Jobless,' Amit Shah in His Debut Parliament Address

In his debut address in the Rajya Sabha, Bharatiya Janta Party president Amit Shah on Monday lauded 'pro-poor' government schemes that are revived under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government.

Taking a jibe at Congress leader P. Chidambaram's jibe against Modi's comment on "pakoda sellers", Shah said in the house that "being a street vendor and selling fritters is still better than being jobless".

"Abhi mai chidambaram sahab ka tweet padh raha tha ki 'mudra bank ke saath kisi ne pakode ka thela laga diya, isko rozgari kehte hain?' Haan main maanta hu ki bheekh maangne se to accha hai ki koi mazdoori kar raha hai. Uski dusri pidhi aage aayegi to udyogpati banegi (I was reading Chidambaram Sir's tweet that 'there are people who started selling pakodas under Mudra scheme, can this be called employment?' Yes, I believe that its better that somebody is earning from labour rather than begging. Their next generation will become industrialists)," he said.

He said that a chai-wala's son is now sitting in the House as Prime Minister and that should inspire people.

In his over an hour-long speech, Shah said "I accept there is unemployment in the country. It is a problem. But you (Congress) have been ruling the country for so many years. We have been in power for eight years (including Vajpayee rule)."

Shah went on to slam the Congress party on several counts. Responding to the opposition's criticism of Goods and Services Tax (GST), he asked all parties to come together and support the government's tax system.

"Sarvanumat se faisla hua hai.Aur shabd kya diya? Gabbar Singh Tax, kon hai Gabbar Singh? Sholay film me dakait ka naam tha. Kanoon se bana hua tax wasoolna daikaiti hai kya? (This was an unanimous decision. And now what do they call it? Gabbar Singh Tax, who is Gabbar? A dacoit from sholay film. How can a legal tax system be equated with dacoity?," he asked.

The BJP President also pitched for simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections, besides touching upon a host of measures taken by the government -- ranging from power supply, toilets, gas, employment and health facilities to the people.  

Irked over slogan shouting by opposition MPs from the Well, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had earlier today adjourned proceedings till 1400 hours, an unprecedented move which even saw the Question Hour not being taken up.

The proceedings begin at 1100 hours with the tabling of the listed papers, after which the Zero Hour is held where members raise issues of public interest. The Question Hour, where MPs can ask the government questions about various policies takes place at noon.

Usually when the proceedings are disrupted soon after the House assembles for the day, the Chair adjourns the proceedings for shorter durations, generally till 1200 hours. At noon, the Question Hour is announced and if the disruptions recur, the proceedings are adjourned again.

But today, when Samajwadi Party MPs trooped into the Well raising slogans against alleged encounter killings by the police in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Naidu adjourned the proceedings straightaway till 1400 hours. Members of the Aam Aadmi Party AAP too were in the Well, apparently raising the issue of sealing of commercial establishments in Delhi.

Congress member Ramachandra Rao too came into the Well holding a banner that read "Do Justice to Andhra Pradesh" in protest against the state not finding a mention in the Union Budget for 2018-19 presented last week.

"I don't want to run the House like this," Naidu remarked as SP, AAP and the lone Congress member trooped into the Well of the House.

"Let us not have an encounter of Zero Hour," he said as members shouted slogans. "This is not the way," he said an ordered that slogan shouting would not go on record.

He asked Rao to go back to his place and sternly told Agrawal, who insisted on being allowed to at least mention the issue, that "nobody can dictate" to him.

"You don't want the House to run. You don't want Question Hour," he told the agitated members as he called for Zero Hour mentions.

Derek O'Brien (TMC) rose to make his Zero Hour submission but nothing could be heard in the din.

An upset Naidu remarked that the members were determined not to allow the proceedings and wanted to create trouble to get publicity. He then adjourned the proceedings till 1400 hours.

With Agency Inputs