After stalling the proceedings of Rajya Sabha on various issues during the last one month, the Congress is all set to remain equally offensive during the last week of the Budget Session. The party on Sunday termed as “false and incorrect” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that the UPA Government compromised on the issue of food security at WTO and decided to raise the issue in Parliament on Monday.
“The statement of Modi, his claim of standing up for food security in the interest of farmers by taking up a stand in opposition to the one taken by the UPA Government is misleading and given with the objective to confuse the people,” former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said in a statement.The former Union Minister was reacting to the remarks of Modi made at the BJP National Council meeting that “those who sought votes in the name of food security, signed the agreement (sacrificing the interest of poor people)”.
Noting that the Modi’s remark disregarded the interest of farmers and the right to food security at Bali was “astonishing, factually incorrect and false”, Sharma said it contradicted the statement made by the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman on August 5 and 6 in the Parliament.
Sharma, who is the Deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, said that when both the Houses are in session, it becomes a question of privilege of the members to know what is the truth. “Which of the two is trueIJ Whether what Modi is saying correct or the MoS is saying is correct. Congress will raise the issue on Monday,” he pointed.
Modi had also said that the Government “chose” to take a tough stand in the recent WTO talks as it has to protect the interest of the poor people of the country rather than to look for good publicity in the international media. Sharma had signed the accord at Bali last year which, among other things, had agreed for signing the TFA by July 31, 2014.
He further said, “It is embarrassing that the Prime Minister is confusing the right of public stock holding issue with sovereign right of food security. Food security is a sovereign right and a sovereign space and has never been a part of WTO agenda.”
Meanwhile, flaying Congress’ “negative role” in the Rajya Sabha where Opposition is in majority, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the BJP is embarking on a mission aimed at giving “total power to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development” by getting full majority for the party and its allies in the Upper House.
Naidu said instead of playing the role of constructive Opposition, which is the need of the hour to put the economy back on track, Congress is “blatantly playing out a negative role. To rejuvenate economic growth, the Modi Government wants to take forward certain legislations, including
those that were initiated by the previous Congress-led UPA Government, that enable increased flow of investments, Naidu, who is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said.“Questionable conduct of Congress party gives out only one message...That NDA Government-led by Modi should have clear majority in Rajya Sabha also so that development-oriented legislations are not obstructed by our opponents,” Naidu said.