MPs Attack Odd-even, Say it's Coming in the Way of Their Work

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's pet odd-even scheme came for a scathing attack in Parliament on Monday with members alleging it would "generate corruption" and was aimed at "insulting" MPs as they sought exemption from the scheme to attend Parliament.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav contended that the scheme would not help CNG companies and companies manufacturing buses and cars and would hardly reduce pollution. He said Kejriwal had introduced the scheme to gain "cheap popularity".

Citing an IIT-Kanpur study, he said the pollution from cars was a mere five per cent and the Delhi government had failed to address other issues which contribute to the remaining 95 per cent of pollution.

While this was strongly contested by AAP member Bhagwant Mann, some BJP members were seen supporting Ranjan's plea.

In the Rajya Sabha, Naresh Agrawal from (SP) made a strong pitch for exempting MPs from the scheme as has been done for some other sections, a view that found reasonance among most of parties as well as Deputy Chairman of the House P J Kurien.

Going hammer and tongs against Delhi government over the move, Agrawal alleged it has done so to "insult" the MPs and wondered why the Centre was "silent" on the issue.

Ridiculing the AAP government of Delhi over the scheme which he said was an outcome of its penchant for new rules, Agrawal said days were not far when rules will be framed to prescribe "A and B will walk on the road on a particular day and C and D some other day. Only women will use the road one day and the next day only men."

Congress member Rajiv Shukla said MPs should be "exempted" from the scheme. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress Deputy Leader Anand Sharma backed the views saying the scheme was coming in the way of discharing their duties.

Kurien also supported the sentiments noting that the government's duty was to help MPs discharge their duty in Parliament and asked why did the Parliamentary Affairs Minister not take up the matter with the Delhi government.

"Or going by the suggestion of Shukla, MPs' vehicles should be exempted from the scheme," he said.