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No direction from Rajya Sabha Chair to Amit Shah to attend House: Rijiju amid Oppn uproar
The remarks came as the Opposition, led by Mallikarjun Kharge, continues to demand Amit Shah's statement on alleged police brutality during student protests.
The Union government on Friday said there was no direction from Rajya Sabha Chairman, CP Radhakrishnan to Union home minister Amit Shah to come to the House amid continuing discord between the ruling side and the Opposition, which persisted with its demand for a statement from the minister.
Opposition pushes for Shah to come to the house
On Friday, the opposition in the Upper House continued to push for a statement from Shah on the police excesses against students on July 20, while they were protesting against paper leaks and said the government had failed to “honour” the Chair’s direction.
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, “... We had made a request…for the minister to come…” over the din, the Congress leaders could be heard saying that the government did not show “maryada” (honour) to the Chair’s comments, made a day earlier, to the government to convey the opposition’s sentiment to the home minister.
But union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju was quick to respond that no direction was given by the Chair and his statement was an “observation”. On Thursday, Radhakrishnan asked Rijiju to “echo the sentiments of the Opposition” to Shah.
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Rijiju defends Shah
“LoP is trying to disturb the house… There was no direction from the Chair. I want to say on record that from morning to late night the home minister is in Parliament. Only those ministers reply in the house who have business listed against their name…The Opposition will not decide which minister will speak and when… they are trying to mislead the country,” Rijiju said.
He said, “ No direction has been given by the chair to any minister to appear in the house and I also want to say that when the opposition leaves Parliament after sloganeering the home minister continues to work late into the night… running the country. And when the home minister will give a reply, they will not have the courage to hear (what he says)...”
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Rijiju asserted that the Opposition parties were attempting to create a narrative that the minister was absent from Parliament.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju said Shah’s name rattles terrorists. “...I would also like to say that Amit Shah is a name that makes terrorists tremble. The day the debate begins in Parliament and the Home Minister gives his reply, you will not be able to hear it.”
