Only One Bill Debated, Govt Blames Congress for Disrupting Monsoon Session

New Delhi, Aug 13: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday accused the Congress of “unfairly disrupting” proceedings during the Monsoon Session and said the Opposition was, for the first time, “running away” from debate despite the government being willing to discuss issues in Parliament.

Addressing a press conference after both Houses were adjourned sine die, Rijiju said the government was dissatisfied with the level of debate and discussion, pointing to low productivity in both Houses.

Lok Sabha productivity stood at 19 per cent, while Rajya Sabha recorded 39 per cent productivity, he said.

“For the first time, we have seen the Opposition running away from debate in Parliament when the Government wanted discussions. Congress is solely responsible for unfairly disrupting the proceedings,” Rijiju said.

He said 12 Bills were passed during the Monsoon Session, but only one received discussion in both Houses.

The session, which began on July 20, was marked by prolonged disruptions. Opposition protests initially centred on the NEET paper leak issue and alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Opposition later demanded a discussion on police action against students protesting over the NEET issue, besides seeking the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament and their statements on the matter.

Rijiju said the government had offered on Monday to hold a debate on the NEET paper leak and related issues, followed by a reply from Shah, but the Congress rejected the proposal.

A similar attempt was made on Wednesday but again failed after the principal Opposition party turned down the offer.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the youth wanted to know who ordered the use of pellet guns against protesting students and accused Shah of being either culpable or incompetent depending on whether he had ordered the action.

“In both cases, he should resign,” Gandhi said.

Rijiju said repeated disruptions had adversely affected parliamentary functioning despite the government’s willingness to respond to issues raised by Opposition MPs. (Agencies)