New Delhi: Congress today (July 27, 2004) stepped up attack on the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) accusing it of attempting to "depose democracy" by its decision to boycott Parliamentary committees and asked it to behave as a "responsible" Opposition to break the stalemate.

"Opposition has every right to oppose Government, but they have no right to depose democracy...Their right to oppose Government cannot be extended or stretched to depose democracy", party spokesman Anand Sharma told.

The refrain of Sharma was that what the Opposition was doing was "harming" the institution of Parliament and not the Government as the Standing Committees are constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman. "Opposition can boycott Government committees, but these are committees of Parliament".

Replying to questions, he felt the move would not lead to a Constitutional crisis and said the Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister were "seized" of the matter.

"Committees cannot be stymied and Parliament cannot be derailed. An appropriate view will have to be taken" on the demands for grants of various ministries, he aid in reply to a question.

Dismissing BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu's charge that Government was adopting confrontationist attitude, he felt that the cap, in fact, fitted the saffron combine. The Opposition approach was a "dangerous portent for our democracy", he said.

He sidestepped questions on addressing the concern of the Opposition on the issue of "tainted" ministers. "The boycott is misplaced and misdirected. ....We hope sanity will prevail".