Pranab Mukherjee's statement on opposition shocking: BJP

The BJP today expressed "shock" over finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement that opposition parties should "join the Maoists" if they have no faith in parliamentary democracy and accused the government of making parliamentary institutions redundant.

"I am shocked to read the statement of Pranab 'da' who happens to be Leader of the House in Lok Sabha. Does the demand for a joint parliamentary committee amount to not having faith in parliamentary democracy and the Constitution?" BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said in a statement.

Reacting to the disruption of winter session of Parliament over demand for JPC on spectrum allocation issue, Mukherjee had said, "The total winter session of Parliament was lost. It proves that the opposition has no faith in parliamentary democracy. If they do not have faith in parliamentary democracy, they should join the Maoists."

Swaraj said, "The truth is that Government has more faith in the courts and the CBI. It is the government that is making the parliamentary institutions redundant."