Strongly defending the BJP-led NDA Government’s performance, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, a former Congressman, on Thursday, sought an apology from the Opposition for their remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament.

Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Union government in the Lok Sabha, Scindia said, “It’s been 20 years since I am part of this Parliament, but I have never witnessed such a scene in the House. They should apologise for their remarks not in Parliament, but before the people of India.”

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They (the Opposition) don’t care about the dignity of the PM or the president. They only care about their stature, he contended.

Scindia pointed out that the same people, who were tight-lipped on the burning issues of the country earlier, are now sitting in the Opposition. They are not letting Parliament to function for the past 17 days over their demand for a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Manipur.

“Today, they are talking about maun vrat, I want to ask them why PM PV Narasimha Rao was silent when there was violence in Manipur in 1993. In 2011 too, when there was a clash in Manipur and the state faced blockades for more than 100 days, why PM Manmohan Singh was silent in Parliament? If this is not the politics of convenience, then what is,” he asked.

He further said, “The home minister has time and again said we are ready for discussion, but they did not let Parliament function.” the Union minister lamented.

Meanwhile, when Opposition MPs staged a brief walkout when the Union minister was speaking during the debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, taking a jibe at the walkout, Scindia said, “The people of the country have shown them a way to exit. Now, they themselves are going outside the House. They do not have confidence in their own no-confidence motion,” he said.

He blamed previous Congress governments for all the outstanding issues of the northeast. “All the issues of the northeast region have been fueled by the Congress governments. They allowed foreign countries to incite violence there. The past nine years have been the most peaceful years for Manipur. The insurgency has been three times lower than when you (Congress) were in power,” he added.