Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the repeated disruptions of parliamentary proceedings, stating that due to the turmoil in the House, the country has been unable to listen to the talented MPs elected during the current session. He also expressed solidarity with TMC and Shiv Sena ‘rebel’ MPs.
Modi said this during a breakfast meeting with over 40 MPs from NDA constituents Nationalist Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), Shiv Sena, Republican Party of India (Athawale), Rashtriya Lok Morcha, AIADMK and UPPL. While 20 Lok Sabha members had left the TMC and joined the little-known NCPI in June, as many as six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs deserted that party and joined the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, taking Shiv Sena’s numbers to 13 in the Lower House.
The NCPI has joined the NDA and the Shiv Sena continues to be a constituent of the ruling alliance.The Muslim MPs of the NCPI – Khalilur Rahaman, Yusuf Pathan and Abu Taher Khan – who skipped the NDA parliamentary party meeting ‘Mangal Milan’ twice also attended the breakfast meeting. They had separately met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.
Those who attended the breakfast meeting with the prime minister included RPI (Athawale) chief and Union minister Ramdas Athawale, Rashtriya Lok Morcha president and Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha, AIADMK leader M Thambi Durai, who is a Rajya Sabha member, and UPPL chief and Rajya Sabha member Pramod Boro.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda and BJP president Nitin Nabin were also present at the breakfast, which was a vegetarian affair along with desserts like payosh (kheer).NCPI MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said they were “overwhelmed” seeing the prime minister’s knowledge, the way he treated them.
“The prime minister said those who are with the NDA for the last 20 years or even one year are all family members. He said we will work hard for the development of West Bengal and the eight northeastern states. We all will work together. This is a very good message he has given to us, we all will work together,” she told reporters at the Parliament House complex.Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Jyoti Waghmare said Modi emphasised on smooth functioning of Parliament and expressed concern over the repeated disruptions by the opposition protests.
“The prime minister said due to the disruption in Parliament, the country could not listen to the talented and new MPs. He said the country’s issues should be discussed in Parliament,” he said.NCPI leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the prime minister asked the MPs to do yoga regularly for maintaining good health.
Modi is also learnt to have told told the MPs that they should not worry about their needs for the development of their respective constituencies.”I am with you. The NDA is a family. We stand with our constituent parties,” he is learnt to have told the MPs.Modi also reportedly said that he stood not only with the NDA members but with every MP.
