New Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday claimed that he received “sore throat” after repeated opposition insistence, so that Parliament could be allowed to run smoothly during the monsoon session.Rijiju said that the opposition MPs accused the government of “escape” instead of asking the government questions.“In a parliamentary democracy, Parliament is related to the opposition. The government is responsible for answering. The opposition will have to ask questions. What will the government do if the people asking questions are going to run away?” Rijiju said.He said, “We are asking them not to make the cause of disturbances. My throat entered the throat because I had to shout and ask the opposition not to create a ruckus,” he said.“With folded hands, we have requested the Congress party to participate in the discussion. There are many members of the Congress who can speak well and are knowledgeable. They will face issues if I do not take anyone’s name … If Rahul Gandhi cannot speak or he does not know how to speak, others should not be allowed to speak,” he said.Through the monsoon session, the India Block continued its protest against the head inside and outside the Parliament, alleging “vote theft”. The leaders who criticized this practice were Congress chief Mallikrajun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, MP Priyanka Gandhi Wadra and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, TMC MP Mahua Motra, AAP MP Sanjay Singh.Protests continued since the beginning of the session, in which the ruling party MPs opposed the disrupting the proceedings. The BJP Anti-BJP block also opposed the banners reading “stop vote theft”, and described the ongoing amendment of the electoral rolls as “silent invisible rigging”.According to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Lower House worked for only 37 hours in the monsoon session, while only 41 hours in the upper house worked.
