In presence of PM Narendra Modi, BJP MPs ticked off for skipping land vote

Sources said M Venkaiah Naidu cautioned the MPs and directed them to be present in parliament as the BJP has already issued a whip for this week.

Upset over the absence of 20 of its MPs during the key voting on the land bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is learnt to have sought explanations from them and pulled them up in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday.

Among those whose names were reportedly called out at the meeting were Rajendra Agrawal, Kamlesh Paswan, Poonam Mahajan, Varun Gandhi, Pritam Gopinath Munde and Babul Supriyo.

According to sources, Naidu, who was visibly miffed with the absentees, said: “If MPs feel that the request made by the party to be present in the house is useless, then why do they take tickets and contest elections in the first place.”

Sources said that when Naidu started reading out the names, Agrawal, MP from Meerut, stood up and said he had to host a wedding in his family on March 10 — the day the Lok Sabha cleared the bill. “I have given the explanation that I had a wedding, my nephew’s wedding… I was hosting it and I had to present, so I left at 6 pm that day,” Agrawal told The Indian Express.

According to sources, Mahajan said she could not be present as her child was not keeping well while her cousin and Beed MP Pritam Gopinath Munde said she was unwell. Both Mahajan and Munde were not available for comment.

Sidhi MP Riti Pathak was reported to have said that she was busy with the panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh. Pathak did not respond to calls.

When contacted, Bansgaon MP Kamlesh Paswan said: “My party has asked me not to speak about it outside. I am sorry.”
Varun Gandhi said he was not present during the voting on amendments to the bill. “I have given my reasons to the leadership,” he said, refusing to divulge any details.

Union Minister and Asansol MP Babul Supriyo told The Indian Express that he could not be in the house because his flight from Kolkata arrived half-an-hour after the house was adjourned.

Quoting party sources, PTI reported that Shatrughan Sinha and Chandra Prakash were also among those listed as absentees.

Sources said Naidu cautioned the MPs and directed them to be present in parliament as the BJP has already issued a whip for this week.

The party wants all its MPs — both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — to be present to ensure passage of key legislation to replace ordinances. It wants to avoid the embarrassment of a bill failing to be cleared due to lack of numbers.

Source:: Indian Express