On July 19, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed his displeasure as the opposition parties did not allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce him as the first Law Minister from a tribal community in the Parliament.
It is a customary practice that the Prime Minister introduce the newly inducted Union Ministers in the Parliament during the session. The ceremony was supposed to take place on the first day of the Monsoon Session. However, as the Monsoon Session began on Monday, the opposition parties started creating chaos in the parliament over myriad issues, including fuel price hikes and farm laws. They prevented PM Modi from introducing new Union Ministers.
Rijiju wrote on Twitter, “But I’m sad. As the first Tribal to be Minister of Law and Justice of the country, I didn’t get the opportunity to be introduced in the Parliament by Hon’ble PM as Congress and allies disrupted the introduction of Council of Ministers in which SC, ST, OBC & Women got a big place.”
But I’m sad. As the first Tribal to be Minister of Law and Justice of the country, I didn’t get the opportunity to be introduced in the Parliament by Hon’ble PM as Congress and allies disrupted the introduction of Council of Ministers in which SC, ST, OBC & Women got a big place https://t.co/Utd2qNFsW2
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 19, 2021
Kiren Rijiju is an MP from Arunachal Pradesh and the first minister from a tribal community to be sworn in as the minister of Law and Justice.
Criticism of the opposition
Prime Minister Modi also criticised the opposition parties for the disruption they had caused. He accused them of not being able to digest the fact that the new ministers include many Dalits, tribals, women, and OBCs. He further added that he had expected the house members to show enthusiasm to welcome the ministers as they come from backward and rural backgrounds, with many of them being from the families of farmers.
The PM said, “However, probably, some people did not like that people of such background have become ministers, and that is why they are now conducting themselves in such a manner.”
In a press release, Home Minister Amit Shah criticised the opposition for disrupting the session. He said, “Today, the Monsoon Session of Parliament has started. In what seemed like a perfect cue, late last evening, we saw a report which has been amplified by a few sections with only one aim – to do whatever is possible and humiliate India at the world stage, peddle the same old narratives about our nation and derail India’s development trajectory.”
Disruptors and obstructers will not be able to derail India’s development trajectory through their conspiracies. Monsoon session will bear new fruits of progress.https://t.co/cS0MCxe8aO
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 19, 2021
While accusing the opposition of showing India in poor light, he said, “Just a few days ago, the Council of Ministers was expanded with great emphasis given to women, SC, ST and OBC members. But there are forces unable to digest this.”
Union Minister Smriti Irani wrote, “Today, the way the opposition has created a stalemate in the journey of the development of the country by blocking the proceedings of the Parliament, it is going to hurt the dignity of the House.”
आज विपक्ष ने जिस तरह संसद की कार्यवाही को अवरुद्ध कर देश की विकास यात्रा में गतिरोध उत्पन्न किया है वह सदन की गरिमा को ठेस पहुँचाने वाला है।
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) July 19, 2021
इस व्यवधान के संबंध में गृह मंत्री @AmitShah जी का कथन पूरी तरह सत्य है। चाहे कितनी भी बाधाएं आयें देश की प्रगति नहीं रुकेगी। https://t.co/MPEO8Nwfpj
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “For the first time in my 24 years of parliamentary life, I have seen that this tradition has been broken. Whatever the Congress party has done today is sad and unfortunate. It is an unhealthy approach towards democratic traditions.”
अपने २४ वर्षों के संसदीय जीवन में पहली बार मैंने देखा है कि इस परम्परा को तोड़ा गया है। जो कुछ भी कांग्रेस पार्टी ने आज किया है, वह दुखद और दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण होने के साथ-साथ लोकतांत्रिक परंपराओं के प्रति उनका unhealthy approach है।
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 19, 2021
The opposition parties also disrupted the proceedings in Rajya Sabha.
