'Unhappy' Amit Shah seeks explanation from MPs bunking Parliament

New Delhi: A day after the Modi government faced embarassment in Parliament when a united Opposition managed to push some changes to a Constitution amendment bill on backward classes, BJP president Amit Shah sought an explanation from party MPs, who were missing from the Rajya Sabha despite a whip being issued.

At the BJP parliamentary party meeting, sources said Mr Shah took a serious view of party MPs missing House proceedings. Mr Shah also wondered if the absentee MPs should be “named” as Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the party leadership has on numerous occasions reminded and urged the party members to regularly attend House proceedings. Even Mr Modi, it was learnt, inquired on Friday night regarding the MPs who were missing Parliament. “The absentee MPs will be asked to give their explanation in writing,” added a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity.

Nearly 31 NDA MPs, including 13 BJP members were absent when the House was taking up the bill. This, despite BJP’s parliamentary party office sending six reminders to its MPs, including Union ministers, the last one around 6.30 pm. Three Union ministers had already informed the party that they would not be able to attend the House proceedings. I&B minister Smriti Irani was in Gujarat, where some districts are facing floods, commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not in the country and sports minister Vijay Goel has been admitted to AIIMS with a chest infection. The Prime Minister could not attend as he was in Assam to review the flood situation.

“When the party issues a whip, members must be present in the House. The party president has taken a serious view of the absence of members. He said it should not have happened and must not be repeated,” parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said.

At the meeting, Mr Shah also accused the Congress of “conspiring” to derail the Constitution amendment bill on backward classes. Mr Shah said it has been conspiring to stop the bill’s passage in the Rajya Sabha despite all parties agreeing to its provisions in the select committee it was sent to.

“The bill should have been passed by the Parliament in the budget session as the Lok Sabha had passed it unanimously. But the Rajya Sabha sent it to a select committee. All parties made unanimous recommendations in the committee, but the Congress once again conspired to stall it,” said Mr Kumar, quoting Mr Shah.

Mr Shah also asked party’s lawmakers and other members to participate in a big way in three exercises — the week-long event starting from August 9 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement, the “sankalp yatra” from August 15 to 30 and the party’s drive to reach out to first-time voters in 2018.