Parliament must debate, not stall: Amit Shah, Kiren Rijiju hit out at opposition tactics

Shah, Rijiju flag concern over Parliament disruptions, urge opposition to draw line between dissent and obstruction

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday called for introspection over repeated disruptions in Parliament and state assemblies, warning that legislative deadlock in the name of opposition damages democracy itself.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the All India Speakers Conference in New Delhi, Shah said, “Debate must take place in a democracy. But it is not good if the House is not allowed to function in the name of opposition for someone’s narrow political gain.”

He stressed that Parliament and assemblies are meant to be platforms for dialogue, not for daily logjams. “If the House is not allowed to function day after day or session after session, it is not good. The country has to ponder over it, the people have to ponder over it, and elected representatives have to ponder over it,” Shah added.

A Mahabharata parallel

To underline his point, Shah invoked the humiliation of Draupadi in Hastinapur, saying that whenever the dignity of the House is compromised, history has shown dire consequences.

He urged both ruling and opposition benches to uphold the Speaker’s impartiality and ensure debates are meaningful. “We should work to offer an impartial platform to raise the issues of the people. The arguments of both the treasury and opposition should be impartial,” he said.

Democracy without bloodshed

Highlighting India’s unique democratic journey, Shah noted that since Independence, regime changes have never led to violence, unlike in many other countries. “Our roots are so deep that we have not seen shedding of even a single drop of blood during regime changes,” he said.

He also paid tribute to Vitthalbhai Patel, the first elected Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly, marking the centenary of his appointment. “If the freedom struggle was important, then establishing legislative procedures was equally important. Vitthalbhai Patel played a vital role in strengthening democracy even during difficult days,” Shah said.

Rijiju draws line between opposition and obstruction

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, addressing the same forum, echoed Shah’s concerns. He said while questioning the government is the right of the opposition, obstructing the functioning of Parliament is not.

“In a parliamentary democracy, Parliament and assemblies are the focal points. If they do not function properly, questions will be raised on democracy,” Rijiju said.

He added that conflict is natural in a House where “many open-minded people sit together,” but stressed that the difference between healthy opposition and deliberate obstruction must be maintained.

A tribute to Vitthalbhai Patel

The two-day conference, hosted by the Delhi Legislative Assembly, also commemorated Vitthalbhai Patel’s legacy. A special postal stamp titled ‘The Glorious Saga of Vithalbhai Patel’ was released. An exhibition and documentary on his life will be open to the public from August 26 to 31.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will preside over the valedictory session on Monday.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)