New Delhi [India], August 21 : With the government getting its legislative agenda through in the monsoon session of Parliament despite continuous disruptions by the opposition parties over their demand for discussion on Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday that the "monsoon season has been very fruitful for the country and the government".
He said new MPs did not get a chance to speak amid disruptions, and it was damaging for the opposition.
"This monsoon season has been very fruitful for the country and the government. It has been a very useful session...The new MPs, who did not get a chance to speak. In the Parliament session, everyone wants to speak about their constituency, country and society, so this time the Opposition MPs did not get a chance to speak, and the Opposition leaders are responsible for this," Rijiju said at a press conference after Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die.
"They did not even participate in the discussion in the time allotted to them on the important bills," he said, hitting out at the opposition.
He expressed disappointment that the discussion on Captain Subhanshu Shukla's mission to the International Space Station and the role of the space sector in India's 'Viksit Bhart' journey could not be completed.
On the Constitution Amendment Bill for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers held on serious criminal charges, Rijiju said for the first time after independence a government has taken such a step.
"This is such a big revolutionary decision," he said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that no one can go above the law.
"The Opposition parties did not try to understand the spirit of this bill, tried to mislead, whereas the bill is clear, if you do corruption, then you will not be spared, no matter who you are, the PM or the CM. If one goes to jail, the government cannot be run from jail," he said.
The minister said that he has received numerous congratulatory messages over the bill.
He said any protest should be done in a democratic manner.
"There should be opposition in democracy. The government and the opposition together form the parliament. Protest is democratic, to protest and disagree is a democratic means of putting across your viewpoint, but to obstruct or to prevent the government and parliament from functioning, that tactic is anti-democratic. Say as much as you want, protest as much as you want, but if you will destroy the property of the Parliament...it is not democratic," he said.
Rijiju said BJP had been in opposition for a long time and held protests democractically.
"We used to protest while being careful that no one got hurt, we did not use the wrong language and the protest should not turn violent or become undemocratic. Therefore, by speaking against the country, giving statements against the Supreme Court, abusing the Election Commission, you are not strengthening democracy but weakening it," Rijiju remarked.