Hyderabad MP and AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi today welcomed the Centre’s decision to fix the date of the winter session of Parliament, however, belatedly.
In a pressnote here today, Asaduddin said, “The whole country knows the reason for delay was to avoid debate and questions raised on GST, Demonetization and the Rafale aircraft deal on which the Government has fallen flat. And the Government wants to escape accountability to avoid influencing the electorate in Gujarat, though the electorate has the right to know.
“It is no excuse that the Congress also committed similar abuses in the past which is readily conceded. However it raises the vital questions rising above party debates, namely the role and status of parliament as “grand inquest” of the nations. The British House of Commons debated the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the worst days of 2nd World War. Parliament was not a mere legislative machine. It exists also to bring the Government of the day to account and our Prime Minister resists that notoriously”, he added.
He said the Head of the State is bound by the advice of the Prime Minister on summoning Parliament but in cases of certain abuse like the present one he owes the duty to summon parliament. But it will be unrealistic to expect the President, who is normally elected on party basis to exercise such a power. The nation is helpless and the parliament is robbed of its power to ensure Government accountability to the Nation precisely at a time when questions are asked all over the Country”. (NSS