Food ordinance: BJP accuses Cong of running away from debate

Dubbing the government's decision to bring an ordinance on food security as an "election gimmick", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused the Congress of running away from a debate on the crucial issue in Parliament.

The opposition party said by bringing an ordinance towards the fag end of the United Progressive Alliance government's tenure, the Congress was trying to score some brownie points which may help the party face the public after big scams and corruption cases came to light during its rule.

"If today the Congress party and the government have decided to go in the route of the ordinance, it is very clear that they are running away from debate. They are not interested in having a debate because many facts or many gaps in this Bill will be highlighted by all political parties and their own lack of clarity, their own lack of preparedness in presenting a comprehensive well-drafted bill will come out," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

"I think this is just an election gimmick rather than a sincere desire to help the poor with food security," she said.

Sitharaman said it is clear that the intention of the Congress is only for election purposes and for garnering votes and not helping the poor. The BJP leader said the party had made it clear that the Food Security Bill is a key Bill as it has important implications on the society, on the budget and on the way the Indian poor would be given food security and thus needed to be discussed.

The BJP, she said, had suggested that the Monsoon Session of Parliament be advanced and no special session was required for the passage of the Bill. Sitharaman said, "Notwithstanding the fact that the BJP had agreed that it should be discussed in Parliament, today we find that the Congress party is trying to get a brownie point which may help them to face the Indian voter.

"They have decided to go through the ordinance route because they only have scandals and scams, corruption running to lakhs and lakhs of crores, with which they cannot face the Indian voter," she said.

The party said inflation has remained uncontrolled and the 'aam aadmi' (common man) is suffering. "Because they cannot go and ask for votes, this Food Security Bill which was otherwise supposed to come within 100 days of their coming to power, in a rush is coming in the last 100 days before going to elections," the BJP spokesperson said.