Sonia asks Congress research department to help new MPs groom parliamentary skills

New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) In a bid to confront the ruling BJP-led NDA in Parliament, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday asked the party's research department to help its new MPs groom their skills on questioning and raising issues related to the people.

Besides Sonia Gandhi, the orientation programme of the Congress was attended by outgoing party chief Rahul Gandhi, senior party leaders Jairam Ramesh, Rajeev Gowda and all newly-elected MPs.

Gowda, who heads the party's research department said: "The research department, when it was established under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had three mandates. First it was supposed to support the party MPs in their parliamentary activities. And today is the example of the workshop that we have conducted for the newly-elected MPs so that they can function effectively as an opposition."

He said: "The research department is responsible for make government accountable as it comes out with chargesheets and exposes the government."

He said the research department also helped the party in making its manifesto and it works in state elections and on all fronts.

Several newly-elected Congress MPs who attended the workshop said that Sonia Gandhi intervened in the meeting and asked the research department to help the lawmakers in framing their questions and make them aware of current issues and those relevant to the people.