Bypassing Rajya Sabha is murder of democracy: Sitaram Yechury

Hyderabad: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying Parliamentary democracy in the country, CPM general-secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that the Centre got 22 Money Bills passed in the Lok Sabha ignoring the Rajya Sabha, which is unprecedented. He also said that the CPM would continue padayatras, agitations on burning public issues in TS and fight for social justice.

“It’s a dangerous trend and kills the spirit of Parliamentary democracy. In the name of Money Bills and brute majority, the Modi government bypassed the Rajya Sabha. GST Bill too was brought in as Money Bill. Such action will lead to corruption,” Mr Yechury warned. He said the government was trying to modify the existing rules to ensure smooth flow of corporate cash to political parties.

Under cover of waiving farm loans, the government was trying to waive corporate loans, the CPM leader alleged. “Modi talks something in public and does something else. Some of Modi’s actions in using investigative agencies to settle political scores will increase blackmail,” he alleged. Elsewhere, CPI national general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy accused the Prime Minister of creating problems for the people in the name of demonetisation and other measures as he “failed” to unearth black money.

He also flayed new acts brought in by the Gujarat government recently and demanded they be withdrawn. Referring to the Ayesha Meera murder case and release of Satyam Babu by High Court, he said Satyam got a paltry Rs 1 lakh compensation since he was a Dalit. “In Ayesha Meeran case, judiciary and police departments were misused. It’s not too late to punish the real culprits and take action against those who tried to suppress the facts,” Mr Reddy said. CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy said the just concluded Assembly session in Telangana saw burial of values. “There was no respect for the Opposition. GO 123 has become a weapon of the government,” he said.