New Delhi, August 5: During the monsoon session of Parliament, a heated exchange occurred between Congress and the government regarding delimitation and parliamentary proceedings. Congress accused the government of spreading confusion and evading discussions. Party leaders stated that the opposition is ready to debate on every issue, but the government must also fulfill its responsibilities.
Congress General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal referenced a conversation with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, saying, “Today, Minister Rijiju spoke to us about the delimitation issue. He discussed this matter with us. Our MPs informed us that he talked about delimitation, and we told him we would respond later. There is nothing more to it. Our stance is very clear. We remain committed to the position we adopted during the last parliamentary session. There has been no change. The opposition’s position is clear. They should not spread confusion. As the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he is trying to create confusion by claiming that informal discussions are ongoing.”
Venugopal raised questions about reports of a special session being called by the government regarding the delimitation bill. He stated, “We know nothing. What is the purpose of the special session? The person responsible for bringing the delimitation bill is not even present and is hiding in this building. He lacks the courage to come to Parliament. They want to know the opposition’s stance. There are rumors that they discussed delimitation, and we said we would get back to them, but that is not true. Our stance is very clear. We are sticking to the position we took in the last session of Parliament. There has been no change.”
Congress MP Tanuj Punia emphasized that the party is ready for discussions on all issues. “Yes, let them bring it up. We are fully prepared for discussions, whether on FCRA or delimitation. We are ready to debate every issue. However, we will also raise our concerns regarding the government’s shortcomings. It is our responsibility. If we cannot do this, then there is no point in having an opposition. Rahul Gandhi attends the House daily and participates in proceedings. It seems that the Honorable Home Minister and the Honorable Prime Minister have some phobia, as they are not coming to the House except on the first day.”
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla accused the government of silencing the opposition during discussions on the judiciary in the House. He remarked, “Today, there was a discussion on the judiciary, and everyone was speaking. But they kept saying, ‘No, you cannot say this, you cannot say that.’ The opposition is asking, will you now decide what kind of speech the opposition should give? Will it be determined by your discretion?”
Shukla also mentioned the meeting between Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha, stating, “The opposition leader should receive proper respect. I have also been the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, and whenever discussions took place, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj were the opposition leaders. I always moved forward after listening to their views.”
Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda raised a separate issue, questioning the temple trust. He stated, “They could not even ensure the security of Lord Ram’s temple; they allowed the donations meant for the temple to be stolen. This happened because the entire trust is composed of people linked to the BJP and RSS.”
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