Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday appealed to all political parties, particularly the Opposition, to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament during the Monsoon Session, asserting that constructive debate, rather than disruptions, would better serve the country’s interests.
Speaking to reporters after the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the session beginning on July 20, Rijiju said Parliament belonged to every political party and called for cooperation in conducting legislative business.
“I appeal to all political parties to contribute and cooperate in ensuring the smooth functioning of this Monsoon Session. Parliament belongs to everyone. The government will be introducing various bills and legislative business, and I hope that all members, from both the Opposition and the ruling parties, will participate constructively. The more efficiently Parliament functions, the better it is for the country,” he said.
The minister urged Opposition parties to avoid disruptions, saying repeated interruptions in previous sessions had hampered parliamentary business without yielding any political gains.
“I reminded the leaders of the Opposition that running Parliament had become quite difficult in the past due to constant disruptions. Creating a ruckus serves no purpose and the public does not appreciate it. The citizens of this country want Parliament to function smoothly. It has been proven time and again that disrupting Parliament yields no political benefits,” Rijiju said.
He maintained that the government remained open to discussions on issues raised by the Opposition but expected reciprocal cooperation to ensure productive proceedings.
“The government is ready to listen to the Opposition, and it expects the Opposition to listen to the government as well. Disrupting the House wastes everyone’s time and drains taxpayers’ money,” he said.
Rijiju also defended the government’s decision to invite the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a grouping of 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs, to the all-party meeting after Opposition leaders staged a brief walkout in protest.
Clarifying the government’s position, the minister said the invitation was consistent with parliamentary convention and the democratic principle of hearing all stakeholders.
“It is the government’s duty to invite everyone. The NCPI has requested recognition from the Lok Sabha Speaker. How can you ignore it? All parties have the right to speak in a parliamentary democracy. I urge them to extend their positive support to the bills. All parties should work together for the nation. We have noted their suggestions,” Rijiju said.
The brief walkout by Opposition parties came after they objected to the presence of the NCPI delegation, arguing that the group’s claim for separate recognition is still pending before the Lok Sabha Speaker and that inviting it to the meeting amounted to prematurely conferring legitimacy on the rebel faction.
The all-party meeting was convened a day before the commencement of the Monsoon Session, which is scheduled to run until August 13, to seek cooperation from political parties and discuss the government’s legislative agenda.
The session is expected to witness heated debates over several politically contentious issues. The government is preparing to introduce a number of key legislative measures, while the Opposition has indicated that it will raise issues including the proposed reintroduction of the delimitation legislation, the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, inflation, unemployment, the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk during his hunger strike, allegations concerning the financial management of Ram Temple donations, and other governance-related concerns.
The government’s outreach through the all-party meeting reflected its effort to build consensus before the start of the session, even as sharp political differences surfaced over issues ranging from legislative priorities to the participation of the NCPI.
Despite those differences, Rijiju expressed hope that both the Treasury and Opposition benches would work together to ensure meaningful debates and the passage of important legislation during what is expected to be another politically charged session of Parliament.