Rajya Sabha Chair Asks Rijiju to ‘Echo Opposition Sentiments’ Demanding Amit Shah's Presence in House

New Delhi: As the opposition continued to keep pressure on the government demanding Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement in parliament on the police action against protesters last month, in a rare move, Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday (August 6) asked Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju to “echo the sentiments” of the opposition to Shah. 

Radhakrishnan’s remarks came after a sharp exchange between leader of opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rijiju. While Kharge said that it was his right to “decide what to speak, when to speak and how to speak” while demanding Shah’s presence in the house, Rijiju said that the opposition cannot “dictate” how the house will run or when a particular minister will come. Radhakrishnan however intervened and said Kharge was not “dictating” and that as the parliamentary affairs minister Rijiju must convey the request to the home minister.

"I request you to consider his (Kharge’s) request for the home minister to come to the house. As a parliamentary affairs minister you can echo the sentiments of the opposition to the home minister,” said Radhakrishnan.

In light of the opposition's persistence in demanding Shah's statement, Rijiju read out Rule 235, seeking an end to the opposition’s interruptions, and Rule 240, on irrelevance or repetition, and claimed that “everyday Kharge says the same thing.” While the house was adjourned at the time, Radhakrishnan allowed Kharge to speak when proceedings resumed at noon.

“It is my right to decide what to speak, when to speak, and how to speak," said Kharge amid loud protests from the treasury benches. "We only raise genuine questions concerning the country and its 140 crore people. We are asking the home minister and the prime minister to come to the house and give a statement. I request you to direct the home minister to come here and give the statement, we are ready to discuss," he said.

Kharge also pointed out that former finance minister Arun Jaitley had previously said in the Rajya Sabha that “disruption is part of democracy.” “Here when we are asking, they are escaping. Why are the prime minister and home minister not coming?” asked Kharge.

Rijiju then rose to say that Kharge was raising the same matter on which he has already spoken and said he cannot "give direction to the chair." "You can only request, but you cannot dictate the house," he said.

He further claimed that new members were not getting a chance to speak in the house because of the Congress's leadership. "I am sorry the leader of the opposition did not mention any rule and simply dictated to the chair, I request Kharge ji to let the house function," he said.

Radhakrishnan then intevened and said that Rijiju must consider the opposition's request for Shah to come to the house. "I request you to consider his (Kharge’s) request for the home minister to come to the house. As a parliamentary affairs minister you can echo the sentiments of the opposition to the home minister,” he said.

After Rijiju protested that the leader of opposition "cannot dictate which minister to come on which date," Radhakrishnan interrupted him to clarify that Kharge was not dictating. "He is not dictating, he has put his request. He put the sentiments of the opposition. As the parliamentary affairs minister you have to reflect the sentiments to the HM, that is my request,” said Radhakrishnan.

The opposition has been demanding Shah’s statement on the police action unleashed on peaceful protesters who had responded to the Cockroach Janta Party’s Sansad Chalo march on July 20, as well as the police action in other parts of the country subsequently. While former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been forced to resign, neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Shah have given any statement in the house.

Outside parliament, BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad said Shah remains in his chamber everyday and will come to the house once the opposition allows parliament to function. "The Congress party and its leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, make up new stories every day and bring new posters. ‘Call Amit Shah, call Amit Shah’,” said Prasad.

“Home minister Amit Shah remains in his chamber every day from 10 am to 7 pm, and he is sitting there even now. Let the house function first, let there be a debate in the house. When the debate takes place in the house, he will speak and give a strong reply,” he said.

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