Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the government remains fully willing to discuss any issue raised by members and has extended invitations to leaders from various political parties for a dialogue aimed at resolving the current impasse in the House.
The minister’s statement came in the midst of continued protests by Opposition MPs, who have been relentlessly demanding an immediate debate on the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls being carried out in nine states and three Union Territories.
Addressing the protesting members, Rijiju emphasised that while the government is ready to discuss all matters, parliamentary proceedings cannot be allowed to be disrupted over a single issue.
“There are several important issues before the House,” he said, adding that one matter cannot be permitted to outweigh all others, especially when members from smaller parties also wish to raise concerns that are significant to them and their constituencies.
As Opposition members continued raising slogans, the Union minister remarked, “Two to four parties are disrupting the House... In a democracy, people win and lose. They should not vent their anger like this... By doing this, you are losing the trust of the people.”
In the Rajya Sabha too, Rijiju made similar observations, assuring the Upper House that he would personally engage with leaders from various parties and initiate consultations on the matter raised by the Opposition. However, he underlined that no party should impose a timeline on the consultation process.
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have witnessed persistent protests by opposition MPs since Monday, insisting on an immediate discussion on the special intensive revision of the voters’ list. The Winter Session of Parliament commenced on November 25, and disruptions over the issue have continued into the second day.
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