NEW DELHI — The Congress on Saturday mounted an attack on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a surprising move, quit as an MP.
Johnson quit as an MP after being told by a Parliamentary committee that he will be sanctioned for misleading the House over lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street during his premiership.
In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “A Parliamentary Committee in the UK investigated and concluded that PM Boris Johnson lied to Parliament. He has now resigned as MP and quit politics, he says for now.”
“There are some other PMs who provide Parliament and the nation with a daily dose of TruthFree sweeteners. Imagine if they were to be held accountable for their lies, distortions, fabrications and silences on burning national issues. Imagine if we were a truly functional Parliamentary democracy, like we used to be before the so-called Achhe Din was unleashed on us,” Ramesh, who is the General Secretary in-charge Communications said.
His remarks came after Johnson stepped down as a Tory MP after claiming that he was “forced out of Parliament” over Partygate. The former Prime Minister saw in advance a report by the Commons Privileges Committee investigating if he misled the Commons over Downing Street lockdown parties, the BBC reported.
The Privileges Committee said that Johnson had called into question the integrity of the House of Commons, the British news broadcaster reported.
Johnson previously admitted misleading Parliament when he gave evidence to the committee in a combative hearing in March – but denied doing it on purpose.
He said that social distancing had not been “perfect” at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns but insisted that the guidelines, as he understood them, were followed at all times. — IANS
