Seeking presence of PM Modi in House at all times is unfair: Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday slammed the Opposition parties’ attempt to create an unnecessary row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence during proceedings of Parliament, saying that seeking the presence of the Prime Minister in the House at all times, that too against the conventions, is unfair.

Rijiju said the Prime Minister makes it a point to attend proceedings unless he is visiting a state to attend an important event or is abroad.

Advertisement

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister asserted that PM Modi is one among those who have registered the highest attendance in Parliament.

Addressing mediapersons after chairing an all-party meeting on the eve of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, “Seeking the presence of PM Modi in the House at all times, that too against the conventions, is unfair,” he said, hitting out an attempt to target the Prime Minister while ignoring the established system for proceedings.

Rijiju said, “Whenever there are questions taken up during Question Hour related to PM Modi’s ministry, he is there. He has not missed the proceedings even once.”

“In the House, the Cabinet functions on the basis of collective responsibility. The Cabinet minister concerned is always present in the House during Question Hour,” he said.

As per the convention, the Minister related to the department on which a question is asked remains present in the House, and in addition to that, at least one Cabinet Minister and two Ministers of State are always present in Parliament, he said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has expressed hope that the Prime Minister will address critical issues in Parliament, particularly regarding defence, foreign policy, and electoral structure.

Gogoi emphasised the importance of PM Modi’s presence in Parliament to provide clarity on the Pahalgam terror attack, responding to US President Donald Trump’s claims about mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and the Election Commission’s functioning, particularly about the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and its potential extension to other states.

At the all-party meeting, a day before the monsoon session of Parliament, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that the government will have to put forth its point on the security lapse in the ghastly April 22 terror attack.

“There are some crucial issues that will be raised in the monsoon session, and this is why we have more hope than before that Prime Minister Modi will address the country through the House. Those important issues are Pahalgam and the security lapse, as well as the things the Lieutenant Governor said about it. A lot of time has passed, and the government will have to put forth its point on it,” Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, told reporters here.