new delhi, Aug 7
The Opposition cannot dictate which minister will come to the House and respond, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday asserted in the Lok Sabha amid growing demands for Union home minister Amit Shah to speak on and answer questions about the police crackdown on protesters during the July 20 march to Parliament in which use of pellet guns and nail-studded batons have been alleged.
A vociferous Opposition has stalled Parliament demanding that Shah be made accountable for the crackdown on protesters.
As the House proceedings were disrupted again, Rijiju said that Shah comes to Parliament every day and stays till late night.
Shah is a man whose name sends shivers down the spine of extremists and terrorists, Rijiju declared amid thumping of desks by members of the Treasury benches. “The day discussion begins here [in Lok Sabha] and when Amit Shah responds, you [Opposition] won’t be able to hear (digest),” Rijiju told the protesting members.
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,” the minister said.
As a result of the protests on this issue and other matters, the Monsoon session, which commenced on July 20, has witnessed continuous disruptions.
Rijiju told the Opposition members to stop disrupting the proceedings.
Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan had on Thursday 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.
Amid the din on Friday, the House was adjourned to meet on Monday.
During the Zero Hour, which went on for nearly 16 minutes, the House passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 without debate, and listed papers as well as reports of various parliamentary committees were tabled.
