Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday that the Opposition suffers more due to repeated disruptions of the house, as it loses an important opportunity to justify the government.
The comment came at a time when there was no special functioning due to repeated protests by opposition MPs in the first week of the monsoon session.
At the Parliament Ratna Awards ceremony organized by ‘Prime Point Foundation’, Reiju reminded how bureaucrats sometimes feel relieved when the bureaucrats are postponed. He said, “Let me tell you that when Parliament does not run, the officers feel relieved because they get rid of questions. The government can be held accountable in Parliament. When the House runs, ministers have to face difficult questions. When the proceedings of the House are postponed in a few minutes, they do not even arise. Opposition suffers more loss than the government due to disruptions of the proceedings of Parliament. ”
Reiju said, “Those who disrupted the proceedings of the House feel that they are harming the government, but in fact, they are weakening their role in democracy.”
Emphasizing the importance of parliamentary accountability, the minister said, “In any democracy, the government should be accountable to the people through Parliament. Therefore, for a smooth democracy, it is necessary to let the proceedings of the House run. ”
On his journey in Parliament, Rijiju said that he never considered opposition MPs as opposed. He said, “We are all partners. Prior to 2014, most of my parliamentary lives have been spent towards the opposition. Political rivalry can be, but there is no enmity. ”
Rijiju said that there is an inappropriate burden on Indian public representatives compared to MPs from developed countries. He said, “An MP there represents around 66,000 people. Here this number is more than 20 lakhs. They are not asked to repair the drains or get anyone out of jail. But our MPs deal with personal complaints, infrastructure and law enforcement issues and are expected to perform well in the House. “He said,” Despite all this, they are often criticized. Every elected MP deserves honor, this is not an easy task. ”
Reiju narrated a fun but interesting anecdote recalling her early experiences. He said, “When I first met Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, I went to ask for a room for smokers. He scolded me and said, ‘This is your first meeting with the Lok Sabha president and you have come for it?’ That day I got scolded well and I learned that I should contact the persons sitting in such posts in a purpose. ”
He also told how senior leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani set an example of etiquette. He said, “At that time, we used to think twice before speaking because the legends were listening. Now disruption starts from day one. Perhaps things have changed due to social media. ”
Calling more creative media reporting, Rijiju said, “Earlier, journalists used to come at nine in the morning and cover parliamentary debates by night. Good speeches used to get coverage. Today, the headlines are made on who made the most uproar. I remember that Sharad Pawar once introduced a great agricultural policy, but the next day no newspaper mentioned it. So now, MPs run after the headlines because good work is neither reported nor recognized. “He said,” Negative news increases TRP, not creative action. This is a vicious cycle – in which both MP and media are stranded. ”
Rijiju congratulated all the people who received this year’s Parliament Ratna Award, including Supriya Sule, Bhartrihari Mahatab, NK Premchandran and Srirang Appa Barne. These people received special jury prizes for consistent performance in 16th, 17th and current Lok Sabha.
Rijiju said, “Whenever an MP is honored for good work, we should rise above the party line and celebrate together.”
Taking a dig at the opposition, the chairman of the National Backward Classes Commission Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said, “Those who claim to be a follower of Babasaheb Ambedkar, they defame the country by speaking against the country abroad.”
