New Delhi: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday accused Opposition parties of avoiding parliamentary debates and repeatedly walking out, calling the trend “deeply frustrating”.
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Rijiju said the government was willing to hold discussions, but the Opposition was refusing to participate. He argued that in a democracy, the Opposition typically demands debate and the ruling side responds on the floor of the House.
Rijiju said it was the first time in his political life that he had seen a situation where the government wanted a debate while the Opposition “ran away” from it and refused to listen. He maintained that repeated rejection of calls for discussion was not good for democracy or the country.
He also questioned how Parliament could function without debate, adding that protests with placards, slogans and insults had become routine for the Congress. Rijiju noted that August 13 would be the last day of the session and said the government had again urged the Opposition to begin discussions immediately.
