'Where are your MPs?': Congress gets reality check from DMK

Baalu said that decisions could not be implemented on the floor due to absence of Congress MPs in the House

Discussions are held and decisions taken at Opposition meetings on floor strategy in Parliament but DMK leader T R Baalu on Monday gave a reality check to the Congress on the state of affairs and asked the leading party to be more alert and proactive.

Baalu minced no words at a meeting of the Opposition parties chaired by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge at his office to finetune strategy when he said that decisions could not be implemented on the floor due to absence of Congress MPs in the House, sources said.

Decisions on disrupting the House on issues are taken but there is no proper leadership and coordination. Many times a large number of Congress MPs are absent, especially in the afternoon sessions, Baalu said, prompting Kharge to direct Congress floor managers to address the issue.

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Sixteen Opposition parties, including AAP, DMK, CPM, CPI, RSP, RJD and JD(U) but barring Trinamool Congress and BRS, attended the meeting. The other parties which attended the meeting were Shiv Sena (Thackeray), RLD, National Conference, Kerala Congress (M), Muslim League, NCP and JMM.

However, BRS joined other Opposition parties to protest against the ruling BJP’s demand for an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London.

The parties had decided to raise the Adani Group issue and demand a probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into it on Monday but the BJP preempted the Opposition and raised Rahul’s issue, which led to disruption.

Sources said the Opposition had decided to raise misuse of central agencies on Tuesday.

There is a view among some parties that the Opposition should not fall into the BJP trap on Rahul’s remarks, claiming that the BJP wants to avoid any reference to the Adani affair.