Opposition not letting Parl function, may pass Bills amid din: Rijiju

The Centre on Monday indicated it might be compelled to pass Bills without discussion if the Opposition continued to stall Parliament over its demand for a debate on Bihar’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “There is a ruling by former Speaker Balram Jakhar that the functioning of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission cannot be discussed in Parliament. He said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had already rejected the Opposition’s demand based on this precedent.

Expressing displeasure over disruptions on Monday, which led to a washout in the Lok Sabha (the Rajya Sabha was adjourned following the death of JMM leader Shibu Soren), Rijiju accused the Opposition of backtracking on an agreed discussion on two sports-related Bills — the National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill — to instead press for a debate on the SIR.

“The job of Parliament is to make laws and passing these bills is important. I am not in favour of doing so without propoer discussion. Therefore, we should not be forced into that position,” Rijiju said, adding while the government had the numbers to pass the Bills, it had refrained from doing so in the ongoing session and had earlier resorted to such measures only when absolutely necessary.

Except for a two-day discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, parliamentary proceedings have been largely paralysed since the session began on July 21, with the Opposition vehemently protesting the SIR exercise in Bihar.