The NDA has entrusted the responsibility of selecting the Vice-Presidential candidate to PM Modi and J.P. Nadda. Kiren Rijiju spoke about training MPs on how to vote correctly. He also accused Rahul Gandhi of attacking constitutional institutions.
New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has intensified its preparations for the Vice-Presidential election. An important meeting of the NDA floor leaders was held on Thursday in the Parliament House complex, in which it was unanimously decided that the right to select the Vice-Presidential candidate will be given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President J.P. Nadda.
After the meeting, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the media that the final decision regarding the candidate's name will be taken soon by the NDA's top leadership. He also launched a sharp attack on the opposition, especially Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Key NDA Leaders Attended the Meeting
Key NDA leaders participated in this strategic meeting, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde, Praful Patel, Chirag Paswan, Ramdas Athawale, Anupriya Patel, Lallan Singh, Upendra Kushwaha, and leaders of several other allied parties.
In the meeting, it was unanimously decided that Prime Minister Modi and Nadda should be given the full responsibility of selecting the Vice-Presidential candidate. The intention behind this is to field a universally acceptable and strategic candidate who reflects the unity of the alliance.
MPs will be Taught the Correct Way to Vote
Rijiju informed that the secret ballot process is adopted in the Vice-Presidential election, and no party whip can be issued during this time. For this reason, it has become necessary that MPs are given the correct information about the voting process so that no vote is invalid.
During the discussion on this subject, it was decided that all MPs will be taught the voting process through training or demo sessions, so that not a single vote is rejected and the election is conducted in a fair and orderly manner.
Allegations Raised on SIR Described as Baseless
Reacting to the opposition's protest regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) going on in Bihar, Rijiju said that SIR is not a new process. Since independence, this process has been adopted in many states, including the example of Maharashtra.
He said that when the results of the Lok Sabha elections came, the opposition parties had praised SIR, but now questions are being raised on it in the context of the assembly results, which reflects double standards.
Why Can't There Be a Discussion on SIR in Parliament?
Rijiju clarified that the rules and procedures of the Lok Sabha state that subjects under consideration in the court cannot be discussed. SIR is currently under consideration in the Supreme Court, so no official debate on it is possible in Parliament. He accused the opposition of deliberately trying to violate the dignity of democracy and wanting to turn Parliament into a political arena.
Direct Attack on Rahul Gandhi
Taking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to task, Rijiju said that Rahul Gandhi is attacking constitutional institutions, which is tantamount to a direct attack on democracy. He said, "Today Rahul Gandhi is targeting the Election Commission, yesterday he attacked the Supreme Court. He is taking the help of an NGO report, which is completely biased." Rijiju also said that the statement made by Rahul Gandhi regarding Karnataka has also been termed as 'nonsense' by the local leaders there.
'Raising Questions After Losing Elections is the Opposition's Habit'
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister taunted the opposition and said that when the results of the elections come in their favor, they appreciate them, but when the results are unfavorable, they question the voting process and constitutional institutions.
He appealed to the opposition to respect the functioning and rules of Parliament and said that it is the responsibility of every party to maintain the democratic traditions of the country.
