New Delhi [India], July 22 : Senior advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi targeted the ruling government over parliamentary proceedings on Wednesday, calling offered discussions an "empty formality" if key opposition demands, including a debate on a minister's resignation and the Prime Minister's presence, continue to be rejected.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, Singhvi dismissed claims that the government is open to constructive debate, arguing that holding a structured discussion without genuine executive accountability fails to uphold democratic processes.
Singhvi emphasised that a meaningful debate requires concrete discussion surrounding key ministerial accountability and active participation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rather than procedural debates.
He criticised the practice of using numerical majorities to pass votes after standard debate hours, characterising such sessions as shouting matches that serve as a cover for routine push-throughs.
"The government is not ready. What is being told to you is misleading. The issue was to show some flexibility...To discuss the resignation and concrete measures, and for the Prime Minister to attend the discussion. Merely holding a discussion where people shout at each other and then the majority votes is just a formality, an empty formality...Neither is the Prime Minister ready to speak, nor are they willing to discuss the Minister's resignation. So, what exactly are they ready for?" he said.
The Congress leader asserted that official statements suggesting the government is ready for open dialogue do not reflect their unwillingness to accommodate opposition conditions.
The remarks come amid heightened tension between the treasury and opposition benches over legislative accountability and floor management.
Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with several other opposition leaders, were detained following police action during the party's protest near Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. The Congress had demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
On July 20, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) held a 'Sansad Chalo' protest in the national capital, which was met with police action. The Opposition leaders have strongly criticised the police action and alleged that the protestors were "lathi-charged" and met with tear gas.
Meanwhile, the Opposition MPs today held protests wearing black clothes against the government on the Parliament premises. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi, among others, were present at the protest.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi Police on three public interest litigations alleging excessive use of force by police during the July 20 protest march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and directed the authorities to preserve CCTV footage and all other relevant electronic records relating to the incident.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia granted the respondents four weeks to file their replies and listed the matter for further hearing on September 11.
The Court directed that CCTV footage and other relevant records be preserved in accordance with the applicable Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).