NEW DELHI: Even as the deadlock in Parliament entered the fourth week of the Monsoon Session over the Opposition’s sustained protests on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s absence in the two Houses, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday launched a counterattack, saying that Shah’s name “sends shivers down the spine of terrorists” and that the Opposition “will not be able to digest” when the Home Minister speaks in Parliament.
Rijiju’s remarks came after Opposition members stepped up the protests in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, targeting the government over Shah’s absence and their demand that he make a statement on the alleged police crackdown on protesting students.
“When Amit Shah responds in the House, the Opposition won’t be able to digest,” Rijiju told the protesting members. It was expected that Shah would reply to the debate on the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) next week.
As per procedure, the minister who has listed business has to come to the House. “You cannot dictate which minister will come to the House and who will respond. That is decided by the government and the Chair,” said Rijiju.
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress president and LoP Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that the Chairman, CP Radhakrishnan, had issued a direction to Amit Shah. However, Rijiju dismissed the claim. On Thursday, Radhakrishnan had asked Rijiju to “echo the sentiments” of the Opposition to the home minister as the Opposition members continued with their demand for a response from Shah.
“The LoP is misleading the House. There has been no direction by the Chair. I am saying this on the record: from the time Parliament begins in the morning till it ends at night, the HM is in Parliament. There has been no direction issued for any minister to come to the House. You leave after 11 am, but the HM stays,” said Rijiju.
Responding to Rijiju, Congress MP K C Venugopal said, “The biggest joke in Parliament was Rijiju’s statement. There was a discussion on the examination bill, he could have come.”