Kiren Rijiju slams Congress for 'running away' from debate on student stir
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday delivered a scathing critique of the Congress and other opposition parties over the continuing deadlock in Parliament, accusing
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday delivered a scathing critique of the Congress and other opposition parties over the continuing deadlock in Parliament, accusing them of avoiding a discussion on the ongoing student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and disrupting proceedings through slogans and placards. He said the Congress was "running away" from debate on the July 20 protests, when the government and the Home Minister are ready to respond to the Opposition's questions. Read Full Story Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Rijiju said he was "deeply disappointed" with the opposition’s conduct and described the current situation as unprecedented in his parliamentary career.
"This is the first time the government wants a discussion while the opposition is running away from it. This is not good for democracy," he said. The minister said both the government and the opposition have responsibilities in a parliamentary democracy and alleged that the opposition was refusing to participate in a debate despite repeated appeals from the government. He said the government remained prepared to discuss the issue in detail and respond to all concerns raised by opposition members. The remarks came amid repeated disruptions in both Houses over the protests by students and aspirants at Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators demanded action on issues related to examinations, including NEET.
Opposition parties have sought a discussion on the matter and have been pressing for a response from the government. Rijiju said that when the opposition demanded a discussion on NEET and insisted that the Home Minister reply, the government agreed to the proposal. He said that Home Minister Amit Shah wrote to the Speaker stating that the government was ready for a discussion and requested that the opposition be persuaded to participate. "The public wants to know why the Congress is shying away from the discussion," Rijiju said.
He added that the government was willing to hold a debate and provide a comprehensive reply at the end of the discussion. Ends
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