'Govt not running away': Opposition corners govt over no Question Hour, Rajnath says all parties had agreed

Not running away," said the government after the Congress accused it of trying to "strangulate democracy" by suspending the Question Hour.

The Opposition parties on Friday cornered the government over the cancellation of the Question Hour for this monsoon session. As the monsoon session began in Parliament, the Congress accused the government of trying to "strangulate democracy" by suspending Question Hour.

Speaking in Parliament, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the government has decided to conduct the Parliament proceedings and suspend the Question Hour. He alleged that the government was trying to strangulate the democracy.

"Question Hour is the golden hour but you [the government] say that it can't be held due to the circumstances. You conduct the proceedings but single out the Question Hour. You are trying to strangulate the democracy," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

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Defended the government’s stand on the cancellation of Question Hour in the ongoing Monsoon Session, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that leaders of most of the parties had agreed to the no Question Hour due to the situation, triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

"Leaders of most parties agreed over no Question Hour and Zero Hour for 30 minutes. We apprised you [Speaker] of it following which decision was taken by you. I appeal to all members of House to co-operate as Session is being held in an extraordinary situation," Rajnath Singh said.

BJP MP Pralhad Joshi also defended the decision to cancel the no Question Hour in this session, saying the Centre was not running away from a discussion.

"It's an extraordinary situation. When Assemblies aren't ready to meet for a single day, we -with around 800-850 MPs- are meeting here. There are so many ways to question the govt, govt isn't running away from the discussion. We're ready for discussion," Pralhad Joshi said.

The government had claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic posed a threat and the proposal to drop the Question Hour was discussed with all parties by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, and that only TMC representative in Rajya Sabha Derek O' Brien had put his party's objection on record, while his Lok Sabha colleague Sudip Bandyopadhyay had agreed to it.

The government claimed it tailored the Session dates, duration and timing, making social distancing a top priority.