“When He Starts Speaking...”: Amit Shah Query Turns Into Fresh Congress-Rijiju Clash

A political confrontation over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence in Parliament intensified on Friday, with Congress leaders demanding that he address the House on the police action against protesters. The dispute followed remarks by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who defended the government's position and argued that the Opposition could not decide which minister should respond to a particular matter in Parliament.

Congress MP KC Venugopal reacted sharply to Rijiju's remarks while leaving the Parliament complex amid light rain. Asked about the minister's claim that Opposition members would not be able to listen when Amit Shah rose to reply, Venugopal laughed and called it the "biggest joke" he had heard in Parliament that day. He argued that Shah could have attended the discussion on the examination bill and questioned why the Home Minister had not responded to the Opposition's concerns.

The Opposition has been seeking Amit Shah's intervention over the police response to protests linked to alleged irregularities in examinations. Congress leaders have demanded an explanation in Parliament over allegations concerning the use of pellet guns in Delhi and firearms during protests in Bihar. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also questioned why Shah had not appeared to make a statement, arguing that the government should take responsibility if any wrongdoing had occurred.

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Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the demand for Shah to make a statement on police action against protesters. Kharge claimed that Rajya Sabha Chairperson CP Radhakrishnan had directed the Home Minister to come to the House and respond. Rijiju rejected the claim, maintaining that there had been no such direction and that the minister responsible for the business before the House would give the reply.

Rijiju also defended Shah's attendance in Parliament, saying the Home Minister comes to the Parliament complex regularly and remains there for long hours. He accused Opposition members of raising slogans and leaving the House before ministers respond. His remarks further escalated the political exchange, with Congress and other Opposition parties continuing to insist that Shah should directly address the allegations surrounding the police response to protesters.

The dispute unfolded as Opposition MPs gathered at Makar Dwar of Parliament amid rain, carrying placards and raising slogans demanding answers from the Home Minister. Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai also questioned Shah's absence from the House and challenged him to respond to allegations concerning the treatment of protesters. The standoff has added another layer to the continuing confrontation between the government and Opposition over the handling of protests and the demand for ministerial accountability in Parliament.

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