Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the government is ready for a discussion on the student protests and the subsequent police action, provided the Opposition allows the House to run, even as he maintained he has been coming regularly to Parliament amid demands for his presence and statement there on the issue.
Shah insisted he is ready to answer any questions in Parliament but the Opposition does not want the discussion to take place. He added that the Opposition should submit a letter to the Speaker by 2pm to begin the debate from 3pm (Wednesday). Follow Parliament monsoon session LIVE updates
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA [National Democratic Alliance] government is ready for discussions. The House should be allowed to run. We are ready to start discussion at 3pm,” he said in a rare statement to journalists outside Parliament.
Parliament's ongoing monsoon session has largely been washed out over the past two weeks with the Opposition insisting on a statement from Shah in the House over allegations of police excesses and the use of pellet guns at the July 20 protest, demanding then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
{{/usCountry}}Parliament's ongoing monsoon session has largely been washed out over the past two weeks with the Opposition insisting on a statement from Shah in the House over allegations of police excesses and the use of pellet guns at the July 20 protest, demanding then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
{{/usCountry}}On Monday, the supplementary list of business stated that Shah would introduce bills to change the name of Kerala to Keralam, and to amend the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act. Union ministers of state Nityanand Rai and Murlidhar Mohol introduced the bills.
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The Opposition has targeted Shah for being “missing” from the House. The government has rejected the description.
‘What’s the point of going inside when…?'
Shah slammed the Opposition, saying words such as "missing" and "fugitive" have recently begun to be heard in India’s public and parliamentary discourse. "Ever since the Parliament session began, I have been coming regularly and sitting in my chamber. But the Opposition is not allowing Parliament to function. So, what is the point of anyone going inside when the proceedings are not being allowed to run?”
He said parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju has made it very clear that the government is ready for a discussion on all aspects of the students’ protests related to the paper leak issue.
“The Opposition had initially demanded that time be allotted for a discussion and that the government should agree to it. I have also made it clear that I am ready to answer any questions in Parliament. But they simply do not want the discussion to take place," Shah said.
He said the government is ready for all kinds of discussions from 3pm Wednesday until 3pm the next day. “I will remain in the House, listen to everyone and answer every question. The government has nothing to hide.”