BJP president, Amit Shah on Tuesday rebuked BJP-party MPs for frequent absence from Parliament sessions, saying that lawmakers should do justice to the people’s faith in electing them to look after the interests of the voters.
Addressing the BJP Parliamentary party in New Delhi, Shah said there were many people who aspire to become MPs but they don’t get the chance.
“If you have been elected, you should do justice,” a source present at the meeting quoted the BJP president as saying. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is in Assam to review the flood situation, is also “extremely upset”, BJP sources said.
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Shah’s reprimand came a day after Opposition parties forced an amendment in a bill to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes over its composition and the powers of states.
With several Opposition MPs, including those from the AIADMK, TMC, and others, not present in the House, the government had an opportunity to outnumber the Opposition, but it was debilitated as its own MPs were missing in the House.
The amendment seeking to increase the number of members from three to five, including a woman and a minority candidate of OBC category, and ensuring the relevance of state commissions was carried with 75 MPs supporting and 52 rejecting it. The BJP has 57 MPs in the Upper House, with the other NDA constituents taking the tally up to 75.
The absenteeism of BJP MPs comes despite repeated warnings by PM, Modi in the past. On Monday evening when the bill came up for passage in the Rajya Sabha, even significant ministers were absent.
Shah asked MPs to ensure that it’s not repeated; Kumar said adding that the BJP is likely to seek an explanation from the absentee Rajya Sabha MPs.
