Centre slams Congress for absence during budget discussion

New Delhi [India], February 11 Union ministers on Wednesday slammed members of opposition parties, especially those of Congress, for being absent from the budget discussion in the Parliament that went on till post-midnight on Thursday.
While there were quite a few ministers present in the treasury benches along with approximately 30 BJP MPs, the opposition benches were empty. Barring a few MPs of Shiv Sena and BSP, there were no opposition members present in the house when Parliament got extended to facilitate discussion.
Union Cabinet Minister Giriraj Singh highlighted the absence of Congress MPs in the house to the Speaker. Except for K Suresh who was discharging his duties as Speaker no other MP from Congress was present.
Coming out of Parliament at 12.45 am, both Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur slammed the opposition for being casual about the budget discussion.
“Congress MPs should listen to what other debate in the august house. While everyone puts their point across, Congress MPs are hardly there in the Parliament,” said Anurag Thakur, MoS Finance.
Whereas Singh targeted the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for being absent, and said, “Rahul Gandhi was not there and even his party members also not present. They are neither devoted to the country nor devoted to the Parliament. Some of them are going to Saharanpur (referencing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s participation in Kisan panchayat) and some to other places for the photo sessions. Rahul Gandhi is shedding crocodile tears in the name of Congress,” said Singh.