You can demand, not dictate: Kiren Rijiju vs Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha
Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clashed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid a deepening standoff over repeated disruptions by
Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clashed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid a deepening standoff over repeated disruptions by opposition protests in the House. The confrontation erupted during Zero Hour as opposition MPs shouted slogans of "Grih Mantri sadan mein aao" (Home Minister, come to the House), demanding a statement from Amit Shah on the Ram Mandir donations theft and police action against student protesters in Delhi. Despite repeated appeals from the Chair, the sloganeering continued. Read Full Story Presiding over the House, Deputy Chairman CP Radhakrishnan repeatedly urged members to return to their seats and assured them they would be given an opportunity to speak once order was restored. He also reminded members not to direct the Chair during proceedings. Amid the din, Rijiju invoked parliamentary rules against disrupting House proceedings and took aim at Kharge's repeated interventions.
"Every day, Mr Kharge stands up. He reads out whatever he has written down. Every time, the Chairman gives him a chance to speak and Mr Kharge says the same thing. This is repetition," Rijiju said. Kharge, who is Leader of Opossition in the Rajya Sabha, fired back, asserting that it was for him to decide how to present his arguments. "Now I have to learn the rules from Rijiju ji... If I don't read the rules, if I don't read my matter, will I read what you have given me? It's my right, what to speak, when to speak, how to speak," he said. The Congress chief accused the treasury benches of creating a ruckus whenever the opposition attempted to raise issues concerning the country. He reiterated the opposition's demand that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah address the House.
Kharge also cited late BJP leader and former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to defend the opposition's protests. "Arun Jaitley said in this House itself that disruption is part of democracy, and members have every right to raise relevant questions. Now, when we ask questions, they are running away," Kharge said. Rijiju rejected the charge, saying he had referred to parliamentary rules because the Congress leader had been raising the same issue for seven consecutive days. "Whether he is the Opposition member or ruling party, you cannot give direction to the Chair. You can only make requests. You can demand. It is your right. But you cannot dictate the House and you cannot pass any direction to the Chair," he said. Rijiju stated the repeated disruptions were preventing first-time Rajya Sabha member Pawan Khera, a Congress leader, from delivering his maiden speech.
The BriefWire