Will Parliament now run like a press conference, asks SP's Yadav

SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav hit out at Amit Shah's proposal for 'written questions' in Parliament, asking if the House will now function like a press conference. He said the opposition would not accept breaking traditions or democratic norms.

House Not a Press Conference: Ram Gopal Yadav

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Thursday hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's proposal of submitting 'written questions' before answering them in Parliament, questioning if the House is now expected to "function like a press conference."

Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "The Honorable Home Minister gave a statement yesterday, saying that questions should be submitted in writing to the Speaker first, and then he will answer. You all know--it has never been like this. There is no such tradition. The conventions and established practices have always been that ministers give a statement or an answer, and MPs from all parties ask for clarifications within a set time limit. That is the correct procedure."

"It's not about 'submit your questions first.' This is a practice followed in press conferences where questions are given in advance. Will the House now also function like a press conference?" he questioned.

Yadav asserted that the opposition would not accept new conditions that deviate from democratic norms. "The opposition can never accept this, no matter how much the ruling party claims 'the opposition is running away.' If you keep breaking traditions every day, we will not be a party to it," he added.

Describing the ongoing Monsoon Session, the senior MP further alleged, "Due to the government's stubbornness, several bills were passed forcibly amidst the din of the house throughout the session. Ideally, according to the rules, no bill should be passed in such a manner. The rule dictates that bills passed in such a way are not constitutional."

When asked about Shivpal Singh Yadav's visit to Azam Khan and the suggestion of making the latter the 'Jail Minister' in a future government, Ram Gopal Yadav said, "That is a very small post for him. He has always been a minister of much larger portfolios."

Amit Shah Ready for Discussion on NEET

The remarks come after Shah on Wednesday said the government is ready for a detailed discussion in Parliament on the student protests over the NEET paper leak and asked the Opposition to submit a letter to the Speaker by 2 PM to begin the debate from 3 PM.

Speaking to the reporters outside the Parliament complex, Shah said, "Ever since the Parliament session began, I have been coming to Parliament continuously and sitting in my chamber. Since the opposition is not letting Parliament function in both houses, what can anyone do by going there? Even today I say, let them give that letter to the Speaker by 3:00 PM today... From 3:00 PM today until 3:00 PM tomorrow, I will sit in the House myself, listen to everyone, and answer everything. The government has nothing to hide... From 3:00 PM today until late night as long as they sit, and tomorrow until 3:00 PM, we are even ready to suspend Question Hour if the Speaker permits. I am ready for the discussion. I will sit myself, note down everything, and answer everything so that everything becomes clear to the people of the country," the Home Minister said.

The remarks come amid the ongoing confrontation between the government and the Opposition over the recent student protests over the NEET paper leak and the police action against demonstrators. The issue has led to repeated disruptions in Parliament, with the Opposition demanding answers from the government and Rahul Gandhi seeking a response from Shah. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)