Hyderabad: Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday said several national and international issues, including the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran, the suspension of eight MPs, and the sharp rise in gas and crude oil prices, must be discussed in the Lok Sabha. He demanded that the suspended MPs be allowed to vote on the no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla.Criticising the Centre’s foreign policy, he alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was acting under pressure from US President Donald Trump on issues such as tariffs and crude oil purchases. “India is a sovereign country and should not wilt under the influence of any foreign leader,” he said.The Congress MP from Bhongir demanded that the PM explain to the country why India was allegedly facing pressure from the US. He insisted that the views of the opposition be taken into account in Parliament. He also demanded that all 543 members of the Lok Sabha be allowed to vote on the no-confidence motion against the Speaker.Meanwhile, Congress MP Mallu Ravi also slammed the BJP-led central govt for refusing to allow a debate in Parliament on the West Asia situation. He said that the opposition parties, including the Congress, demanded a full-fledged discussion in Parliament on the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, as the developments had serious implications for India’s foreign policy, economic stability and the safety of millions of Indians living in Gulf countries.He alleged that the situation reflected the BJP govt’s growing tendency to avoid parliamentary accountability on critical national and international issues. When a crisis of this magnitude unfolded, the govt must allow elected representatives to debate and question the govt’s stand. Instead, the BJP blocked discussion and prevented Parliament from functioning meaningfully, he alleged.“The opposition is not disrupting session. We are demanding that Parliament function and debate issues of national importance. The BJP govt must stop evading discussion and allow a proper debate on the West Asia crisis,” he said.
