Let him say what he wants to say: Sonia's reply to Modi's democracy remark

Swatting away Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement suggesting that the opposition must not paralyse Parliament based on their 'whims and fancies', Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said on Friday that he could say whatever he wanted, hinting at no signs of backing down.

"Let him say what he wants," Sonia said responding to Modi's charge that democracy cannot function at the 'whims and fancies of anyone'.

Modi on Thursday had said that the repeated disruption of both the houses by the opposition was a 'matter of sorrow' and that besides the GST Bill, many 'pro-poor steps are stuck in Parliament'.

"You must have seen that these days that disruption is happening regularly. Meri marji (I will do what I desire). I will do whatever comes to my mind. Does the country run like this? Democracy does not function with 'mantantra'. The country does not run on its basis. Whatever you may think but the system does not run like this," the Prime Minister said.

Meanwhile, chaos reigned at the Rajya Sabha today as well as the Congress continued to disrupt the Parliament over the National Herald case, chanting slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party and the House was adjourned twice till 12 pm.

The Congress has been alleging that the government was playing 'vendetta politics' with them.

Photograph: PTI