At BJP meet, first-time MP complains: ministers inaccessible, don’t listen

by Shivendra Singh · May 7, 2015

PM Narendra Modi and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu during the BJP parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Source: PTI Photo)

A first-time BJP MP criticised the government on Wednesday, saying that most ministers don’t respond to issues raised by party MPs. He added that ministers remain inaccessible to MPs and don’t respond to their emails.

In an intervention during the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Bharat Singh, BJP MP from Balia in Uttar Pradesh, accused ministers of dealing with MPs with disdain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present when the MP spoke.

A party MP present at the meeting, who did not wish to be named, said that even though Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu tried to stop Singh from raising the point in the forum, his comments were met with applause from several other MPs.

Sources said Singh was seated in the rear and could not be heard properly till someone passed him a microphone.

Sources added that Singh also praised Modi for his leadership and the initiatives taken by him.

Singh, according to two MPs present in the meeting, asserted that “despite loud speeches here”, work under central projects was not being done properly on the ground. He specifically mentioned projects under Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojna and programmes initiated by the Health Ministry, they said.

Despite repeated attempts, Singh could not be reached for his comments.

Admitting that Singh had raised an issue in the meeting, Naidu claimed he was merely talking about non-cooperation from the state governments in implementing projects and welfare schemes initiated by the Centre.

“Especially in the case of Uttar Pradesh, party MPs are not getting any support,” Naidu said.

At the BJP meet, ministers and MPs were asked to launch a campaign from May 26 to June 1 to communicate to the people the welfare measures taken by the government for the underprivileged sections and farmers.

Source:: Indian Express