'Weapons of mass distraction': Shashi Tharoor's dig at Centre for diverting focus from price rise

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday accused the Centre of “driving away” the focus from fuel price rise and consumer inflation, saying that though Lok Sabha passed a bill on Weapons of Mass Destruction, the government's real strength is its "weapons of mass distraction".

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor said that instead of adjourning Parliament two days early, the government should have had the courage to listen to a serious debate on fuel price rise and consumer inflation. "It's clear that GOI doesn't want to discuss prices at any price!" the MP from Kerala’s  Thiruvananthapuram said.

"Though LS passed a Bill on Weapons of Mass Destruction, GOI's real strength is its Weapons of Mass Distraction. Aided & abetted by a complicit media, pointless controversies over halal, hijab & azaan have driven away the focus from price rise," he said in another tweet.

Though LS passed a Bill on Weapons of Mass Destruction, GOI's real strength is its Weapons of Mass Distraction.
Aided & abetted by a complicit media, pointless controversies over halal, hijab & azaan have driven away the focus from #pricerise. https://t.co/17DQHhBzXW

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 7, 2022

The Budget Session of Parliament concluded on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule. The Budget Session had begun on January 31 with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of both the Houses. It was followed by the presentation of the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1.

The first part of the Budget Session concluded on February 11 when Parliament went into recess to examine the budget papers.

The session resumed on March 14 and concluded on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule after the completion of the budgetary process and passage of key bills such as the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill and the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill.

The Opposition has accused the government of running away from a debate in Parliament on the rising price of essential commodities.