New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav Thursday criticised the treasury benches for poor attendance in the Lok Sabha when it debated the motion of thanks on the president's address.

'Look at the treasury benches when the house is debating the motion of thanks on the president's address,' Yadav said as DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan was invited by the chair to speak after 2 p.m.

Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy were among the few prominent ministers present in the house. Rhe number of Congress members present was also low.

Yadav said the government was not interested in people's burning issues like price rise.

He flayed the poor attendance on the same day when Congress president Sonia Gandhi chastised MPs for poor attendance in parliament.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, Sonia said: 'Regular attendance (in parliament) is part of our basic duty and responsibility. Even to sit and listen to parliamentary proceedings is an education in itself. The time has come to take poor attendance on the part of members seriously.'

The Congress president also said she felt compelled to refer to the issue of attendance in almost all her addresses to party MPs.