Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 14 : Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC on Friday accused the opposition of indulging in "disruptive politics" and questioned the functioning of Parliament, saying taxpayers were watching how the time of the Houses was being utilised.
Speaking to ANI, Shaina said the Lok Sabha functioned for only 29 per cent of the scheduled time, while the Rajya Sabha functioned for 34 per cent during the session. "Opposition has only played disruptive politics. Little do they realise that the taxpayers are watching," she said, questioning the amount of parliamentary time lost due to disruptions.
Shaina said that out of the 37 hours of discussion held during the session, several legislative measures were passed, while a number of other Bills could not be discussed.
She said 12 to 15 Bills, including the Online Gaming Bill, Mines Amendment Bill and National Sports Governance Bill, were passed during the session. However, she questioned why several other proposed legislations did not receive adequate discussion. "Of the 37 hours of discussion, 120 hours were planned," Shaina said, highlighting the gap between the scheduled and actual time utilised for parliamentary proceedings.
She also questioned the opposition's approach to parliamentary functioning and said that repeated disruptions prevented issues from being discussed within the House. Shaina directly targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to explain the opposition's approach to parliamentary proceedings.
"Maybe the stubborn Rahul Gandhi needs to answer," she said, arguing that if the opposition wanted fruitful discussions on issues concerning the country, those discussions should begin within Parliament rather than outside it.
Her remarks come amid continuing political disagreements between the ruling side and the opposition over the functioning of Parliament, legislative business and disruptions during proceedings.
The comments are likely to add to the political debate over the conduct of parliamentary proceedings and the role of the opposition in ensuring accountability while allowing legislative business to continue. Shaina's remarks also underline the government side's criticism of disruptions, with the ruling parties arguing that repeated interruptions reduce the amount of time available for debates and legislative scrutiny.
Shaina, however, reiterated that discussions on national issues should take place within the House and not outside.