New Delhi, July 24: The BJP today hit out at Congress for continuing its boycott of defence minister George Fernandes in Parliament saying the party's walkout in Lok Sabha on the issue was "shameful and undemocratic". "The walkout by Congress during Question Hour today was shameful and undemocratic. When the deadlock over the issue is continuing, why should a Congress member had put question and then abstained himself from the house," BJP spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters here.

"A lot of money is spent in preparing answers," he said.

Malhotra said on the one hand, Congress president Sonia Gandhi speaks of national security but on the other, when the Defence Minister makes a statement in the house, her party colleagues stage a walkout.

"This is murder of democracy," he said.

"There has been enough discussion on Tehelka issue in Parliament. Moreover, it was the prime minister's prerogative to re-induct Fernandes into the cabinet," Malhotra said.

Bureau Report