Cong steps up attack on Modi, Shah and Sitharaman; Rajnath directs BJP MPs to retaliate within 'Maryada'

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], Dec 3 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in a combative mood after the opposition has sharpened its attacks on the party leadership. The defence minister and former BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Tuesday at the party's parliamentary meeting asked its MPs to retaliate the opposition jibes and allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, albeit within parliamentary norms.
In an address to the parliamentary party meet, where party president Amit Shah was also present, the senior BJP leader said that the MPs need to be prepared to take on the opposition when they call the Prime Minister and Home Minister as "intruders" and call the country's Finance Minister as 'Nirbala.'
Singh further asked the MPs to be prepared to defend their leaders and retaliate against the opposition "lies". "The defence minister, however, asked them to be cautious in these counter-measures and to maintain the 'Maryada' (dignity) of the House while making any statements," sources stated.
"But don't forget the need to use parliamentary language. You cannot use unparliamentary language for their leaders," stated Singh.
The comments of Rajnath came a day after the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhary made these statements against the senior leadership of the BJP.
The senior BJP leader also lamented the fact that several MPs were not regular in attending the House proceedings. Rajnath asked the party's elected representatives to maintain good attendance and ensure that they were present in parliament whenever important bills or issues were discussed. "He also asked them to be present in their respective houses next week as the citizenship amendment bill is likely to be tabled by the government for parliament's approval," sources added.
The meet also saw a presentation being made by Union Woman and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on the issue of prevailing malnutrition among children and women in the country.
Senior leaders in the party said that one minister at least would prepare a report card every week and present it before the MPs at the meeting.
"It is understood that such presentations would now be a regular feature of the parliamentary party meet and ministers would be making representations regarding their respective departments before BJP MPs to familiarise them with government functioning and programmes," stated the leader. (ANI)