16:07
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday blamed the Congress for "unfairly disrupting" House proceedings during the Monsoon Session and said it was for the first time in the country that the opposition was "running away" from debate when the government wanted discussion.
Addressing a press conference after both Houses of Parliament adjourned sine die, Rijiju said the government was not happy as elaborate discussions on key bills could not take place.
Productivity in Lok Sabha was merely 19 per cent, and in Rajya Sabha 39 per cent, he said.
"For the first time, we have seen the Opposition running away from debate in Parliament when the government wanted discussions. Congress is solely responsible for unfairly disrupting the proceedings. This is not good for democracy, especially parliamentary democracy," he said, expressing hope that there will be "some changes" in the Opposition's attitude in the next parliamentary session.
Rijiju said 12 bills were passed during the Monsoon Session, but sadly only one saw discussions in both Houses. He was referring to the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was passed by both Houses with voice votes.
"They did not allow the House to take up the Question Hour. Another thing I observed, especially in the Congress, was that its MPs now seem to think their job is just to raise slogans and create a ruckus while brandishing placards and banners," the minister said.-- PTI
