We do not disrupt, we debate: Shahnawaz Hussain

Speaking on Zee Media`s Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’s ‘Yuva Mange More’ show, Lok Sabha MP from Bhagalpur in Bihar, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain says financial mismanagement is responsible for the economic woes of the country.

Zee Research Group/Delhi Shahnawaz Hussain, former union minister and national spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has vehemently opposed the perception that opposition disrupts the parliament. He spoke at length on the role of opposition in conversation with anchors Saurabh and Anant. “To wake up the sleeping government, we need to beat the drums. We are raising the issues which concern the common man,” he added. Referring to the current state of politicians in the country, Hussain said, “No doubt there are corrupt politicians in the system. However, at the same time there are many honest and good politicians in the country.” Commenting on the exchequer loss caused by the frequent disruptions of the parliamentary sessions, Madhusudan Anand, senior journalist opined, “It is very sad that parliament has not been able to function properly in the last session. Thereby, exchequer has lost a handsome amount of money. It would have been a nice situation if BJP had adopted a constructive approach and had helped the government in passing the legislations. I wouldn’t term BJP as an ideal opposition party.” However, Hussain argued, “Debate is the only weapon available to the opposition. If parliament gets adjourned then it is really good news for the government. We have requested the government to conduct debates and discussions on vital issues but they don’t give a heed to it.” “Interestingly, Mulayam Singh has spoken against the government on inflation issue. However, he preferred to walk out during the voting. In UP, during elections Congress fights against its allies but at the centre they all are behaving like friends,” he added. Outlining the weakness in the economic fundamentals, Hussain said, “The spate of scams has led to the deterioration of the Indian economy. It is really unfortunate that despite being an economist our PM has failed to handle the economy. Although FDI in multi-brand retail is allowed yet no investments have been witnessed. Similarly, even after signing the nuclear deal, each one of us doesn’t have the access to the power supply.” “Undoubtedly, Manmohan Singh is an honest person but no one on this earth can say that his government is honest. Surprisingly, Coalgate scam has happened while he was the coal minister. Further, the UPA government doesn’t discuss issues with its key allies and the opposition parties,” he stressed. Good and serious debate is conducted on television. Anand said, “Our opposition parties involve in a good debate while it is conducted on television. However, I fail to understand why they don’t replicate it in the parliament. I request every party to debate properly in order to solve the issues of common man.” Hussain, however, defended the role of his partymen in stalling key bills like DTC, GST. “In a democratic process it is not possible to come to the conclusion in one day. The suggestions of all states are important and it takes time to reach a consensus. DTC and GST bills will be passed as soon as there is a proper coordination between states and central government.” (The episode airs at 10:00 pm on Thursday)