PM Modi’s address cannot be a substitute for a structured discussion in Parliament: CPI(M)

Kolkata, May 12: The CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby, on Monday night, reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation, saying that his (PM Modi's) speech cannot be a substitute for a structured discussion on the floor of the Parliament.

“Democracy is not one-way traffic. The Prime Minister's television oration cannot be a substitute for a structured discussion on the content of this statement in Parliament. The government remains answerable in a Parliamentary democracy,” said Baby in a statement which he posted on his Facebook.

Earlier in the day, before the Prime Minister’s speech, Baby had announced that he had written a letter to the Prime Minister requesting a special session of the Parliament to address ceasefire developments and related national concerns.

After the Prime Minister’s speech, the CPI (M) General Secretary had also accused PM Modi of omitting certain important points in his speech, including mentioning the names of those killed in cross-border shelling.

“In his rhetorical oration, the Prime Minister didn't find time to even mention those who were killed in cross-border shelling and about their families,” Baby said.

He also accused the Prime Minister of not acknowledging the role of the people of Jammu & Kashmir in helping the victims of terrorist attacks at Pahalgam last month.

“The Prime Minister did not mention a word about the courage of the Kashmiri people, their selfless role in helping the victims of the terrorist attack or their unequivocal condemnation of the attack,” he said.

Baby pointed out that PM Modi also failed “to condemn the hate campaign and defend the Foreign Secretary, who was trolled for being the government's voice.”