Modi Govt. sabotaging Parliament Session to escape Oppn questions: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi [India] Nov.20 (ANI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday slammed the Central Government over delay in convening the Parliament winter session.

Speaking at the CWC meeting here, the Congress president said the "Modi-government, in its arrogance, has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds."

Sonia further said that the Centre cannot escape constitutional accountability by "locking the temple of democracy."

She also accused the ruling dispensation is deliberately trying to delay the session to prevent the Opposition from raising 'uncomfortable questions' ahead of Gujarat assembly elections.

"Parliament is the forum in which questions should be asked - questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving ministers and dubious defense deals. Government will be obliged to answer these questions, but in order to avoid the questions and answer ahead of Gujarat elections, the government has taken the extra ordinary step of not holding a winter session when should be held," she said.

The Congress president further took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an "ill prepared and flawed GST."

Further slamming the Prime Minister over GST, Sonia said, "Unemployment, rising inflation, falling exports and GST are causing tremendous suffering to millions of people."

Earlier on Thursday, Minister of State (MoS) for Parliament Affairs Vijay Goel had, however, said that the date for winter session of Parliament will be decided this week in a meeting of cabinet committee.

Goel told ANI, "Due to elections in a few states, it was felt that the session should not be just for the sake of it, but work should take place. The meeting of Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs will take place this week where dates of winter session will be decided."

Sonia also cornered the Centre over demonetisation and said the note-ban "has done nothing but rubbed salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers."

"The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed. Yet the Prime Minister continues with greater vigor, to make announcements, false promises, and to quote facts and figures that have nothing to do with the reality on the grounds," she added.

She also criticised the Modi government for trying to change the history by systematically erasing the contributions made by former prime ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.(ANI)