Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Opposition for preventing him from introducing the newly-inducted ministers in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, saying such a ‘negative mindset’ has never been seen in Parliament. But, the Opposition was quick to point out that similar scenes were witnessed in 2004 and 2013 too, when the PM Manmohan Singh was not allowed to introduce his ministers.

As the Prime Minister rose in Lok Sabha to introduce the new ministers, Opposition members started shouting slogans. Dismayed over the disruption, Modi said, it should make everyone proud that several women, many people belonging to the SC and ST community have taken oath as ministers. Similar scenes were witnessed in Rajya Sabha too.

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“It seems some people cannot digest that more women, SC, ST and OBC community members are becoming ministers”, Modi said, and noted that several new ministers are children of farmers and also belong to OBC communities. He further said that it was for the first time that the House was witnessing “such a mentality”.

However, the Opposition was quick to point out a similar precedent. In 2004, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not introduce his new ministers in Parliament as the then Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), protested the inclusion of late Mohammed Taslimuddin, and Lalu Prasad Yadav in the council of ministers.

Congress lawmaker from Tamil Nadu Manickam Tagore pointed to another similar incident saying that in 2013, Singh wasn’t allowed to introduce his ministers in the House. “So, the BJP cannot say that this has never happened before,” said Tagore.

Earlier, addressing reporters ahead of the Monsoon session, PM Modi said that the Opposition should ask the sharpest and toughest of questions in Parliament but asserted that the government should also be allowed to respond to them in a cordial environment.