PM Modi lacks moral courage to face Parliament: Congress MP Pramod Tiwari

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari slammed PM Modi, alleging he lacks 'moral courage' to face Parliament over Gen Naravane's memoir and the India-US trade deal. He also accused the PM of disrespecting the President by skipping the Motion of Thanks debate.

Congress Slams PM's 'Lack of Moral Courage'

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the former Army Chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir controversy and India-US trade deal, claiming that the PM is "unable to muster the moral courage to face people and parliament" over these issues.

Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Tiwari said, "For the first time in the history of PM Modi's tenure, after the Indo-American deal and General Naravane's citation, PM Modi is unable to muster the moral courage to face the people of India and the Parliament of India."

Memoir and Trade Deal Controversies

Congress has raised several issues in Parliament, with a major one arising from MM Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh. Congress has said that Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi was "stopped" multiple times. To quote MM Naravane, BJP leaders in defence said the violation of House rules risked demoralising the armed forces. Congress has also demanded complete details of the US-India trade deal, raising questions about the alleged opening of the agriculture sector to the US and the halt to purchases of Russian oil. BJP has assured that the Indian government has safeguarded the "interests of Indian farmers."

PM Accused of Disrespecting President

Additionally, Pramod Tiwari also said that PM Modi "disrespected" the President by skipping the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address. "The country's democratic history was tarnished yesterday because you disrespected the President... No Prime Minister has ever run away from the field like this," he said.

'Clear Killing of Democracy': Opposition Outcry

Earlier, Congress MP KC Venugopal lashed out at the Centre, claiming that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was not allowed to speak multiple times, while the Speaker allowed BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to speak multiple times.

Calling it "clear killing of democracy", Venugopal criticised Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Expressing his disappointment over the series of incidents, Venugopal said that the ruckus in the Lok Sabha has been about reading "a book" (General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir), adding that despite Rahul Gandhi agreeing not to quote it, he wasn't allowed to speak.

"...From the past 2 days, what was the fight in the Lok Sabha? That you cannot read the book according to Article 349... This is against the rule, and Rahul Gandhi is violating the rule. The speaker himself gave the ruling. Today, Rahul Gandhi said, 'I am not quoting the book or magazine; I want to speak.' Then also he was not allowed to speak; within a second the mic was switched off," Venugopal told the media.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to skip the debate on the motion, Venugopal said the government is trying to "make a mockery" of it. PM Modi was expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address at 5 pm on Wednesday. Instead, after repeated disruptions and sloganeering by the Opposition members, the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)