Congress has drawn criticism and ridicule once again after posting a jab on social media aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic visits to the United Kingdom and Maldives, both pre-scheduled engagements.
Attempting to suggest that the Prime Minister times his foreign trips to coincide with the start of Parliament sessions, the party posted on X on 23 July 2025 stating, “Parliament session has started and it’s vacation time for the 56-inch. Easy way to avoid tough questions. Such disrespect for the temple of democracy!”
However, this accusation doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. According to the PRS Legislative Research, the Prime Minister, as a minister, is not required to sign the Parliament attendance register. As such, no official attendance records exist for him as they do for regular Members of Parliament.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju also clarified that Prime Minister Modi maintains one of the highest participation rates in Parliament, attending sessions regularly except when abroad on official duty. Rijiju added that Modi is always present during Question Hour when matters related to his ministry are discussed.
Double Standards?
Critics also pointed out Congress’s double standards, highlighting that during Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister, foreign trips during Parliament sessions were quite common. An RTI response from the Prime Minister’s Office revealed that 15 out of 36 of Dr. Singh’s foreign visits occurred while Parliament was in session.
In fact, a review of UPA-II’s record shows that the Prime Minister traveled abroad during eight out of the 11 Parliament sessions analyzed missing as many as 35 working days. In 2010 alone, during the Budget session, Dr. Singh undertook three separate foreign tours. During the winter session of that same year, he missed four days of proceedings while traveling to South Korea, Belgium, and Germany even as Parliament was stalled over the opposition’s demand for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
In contrast to the Congress-led UPA government’s approach during challenging times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, returned from his official two-nation visit, promptly joined the Rajya Sabha debate. He not only participated but also agreed to the Opposition’s demand for a 16-hour discussion on Operation Sindoor and its aftermath.
This historical context raises questions about the Congress’s current criticism and whether it overlooks its own party’s past practices.
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