New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS): Hitting out at the Congress for disrupting Parliament proceedings, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said they are not allowing Parliament to function only to protect the interest of a family.

Addressing a press conference, Prasad said, "Congress ruled the country for over 50 years since 1947. But, today the country needs to know how the Congress is behaving today. The Congress has a simple formula, Parliament is allowed to function as long as the interest of a family is served and it will not allow Parliament to function if there is no interest of the family."

Prasad alleged that the family always behaved in the same manner in the past also.

"The family failed to understand that the country is reposing its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Referring to the Congress absence from the meeting of floor leaders of all opposition parties to discuss Covid management and vaccination, Prasad said, "Fact is that the Congress party did not attend the meeting called by the Prime Minister on Covid. They never took Parliament seriously."

Talking about the Pegasus controversy, former IT minister Prasad said, "We are ready for discussion in Parliament, but the Congress is not serious about the debate. When the IT minister made a statement on the issue they tore apart the statement. There is no seriousness in these people."

He asked if anyone had given any proof that their phone was tapped.

"Those who were saying that these few numbers were tapped are the same group who are hostile to the Modi government," he said.

Questioning the opposition's seriousness about the discussion on the floor of House, Prasad said, "We are ready for discussion in Parliament. We have to ask tough questions to the Congress party. But one question we honestly ask is whether Congress and other opposition parties want a discussion in Parliament."

He asked whether Congress or the opposition wants an honest discussion on the Pegasus issue.

Prasad pointed out that due to the continuous logjam in Parliament, the country has lost Rs 130 crore.