‘Parliament cannot run like this’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to Kiren Rijiju before breakthrough

New Delhi: Parliament proceedings remain disrupted as the government reaches out to the Opposition to end the deadlock. Rahul Gandhi has sought discussions on key issues before allowing legislative business to continue. With repeated disruptions affecting the Monsoon Session, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Parliament on Wednesday.

The meeting was aimed at finding a way to restart legislative proceedings, which have been repeatedly disrupted since the session began on July 20.

Sources said Rijiju discussed ways to ensure smoother functioning of the House and also sought the Opposition’s cooperation on key proposed legislation, including the Delimitation Bill and other pending matters.

Rahul Gandhi places conditions for cooperation

According to Congress sources, Rahul Gandhi told Rijiju that the Opposition would not allow normal business unless discussions were held on issues it has been raising in Parliament.

The Congress leader reportedly demanded debates on the alleged police action against students during protests and allegations related to donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Sources said Gandhi also wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to be present during discussions on these matters.

The Opposition has been demanding a statement from the government over the alleged crackdown on student protesters, while the government has rejected the allegations.

Delimitation Bill becomes another point of disagreement

The meeting also focused on the proposed Delimitation Bill, according to sources.

The government has been seeking Opposition cooperation to bring forward the legislation during the current session. However, the Congress has opposed moving ahead with legislative business without addressing the issues raised by the Opposition.

The government’s efforts to build consensus come amid concerns that continued disruptions could delay important Bills. The Monsoon Session has faced repeated adjournments, with the Lok Sabha unable to complete a single Question Hour since the session began. Several Opposition MPs have protested inside the House over issues including student protests and other political controversies.

Five Bills have been passed during the session amid disruptions, according to reports.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has repeatedly appealed to MPs to allow Question Hour and parliamentary discussions to continue. He said raising slogans and displaying placards inside the House affects the dignity of Parliament and prevents MPs from raising important issues.

BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi over disruptions

The BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition of deliberately disrupting parliamentary proceedings.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi was preventing Parliament from functioning and criticised his remarks against the BJP and RSS.

The BJP has maintained that the government is ready for discussions according to parliamentary procedures but has opposed repeated disruptions.

The government faces the challenge of securing Opposition cooperation to pass pending legislation while addressing demands for debates on issues raised by opposition parties.

The continuing standoff has created uncertainty over the progress of key Bills, including the proposed Delimitation Bill. Both sides remain engaged in negotiations, but no immediate breakthrough has been announced.