Congress’s Attitude Towards Parliamentary Proceedings Is Destructive And Obstructing: Piyush Goyal During Parliament Winter Session
Delhi, 19th December 2022: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said the opposition was behaving like an “obstructionist” who does not believe in rules and regulations in the functioning of Parliament. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Piyush Goyal said, “Today in Rajya Sabha, we saw desperation and a complete absence of decorum from the opposition parties. Their frustration has reached a level where they do not even believe in any rules and regulations in the functioning of the Parliament.” Goyal said, “They are also rejecting the decisions and remarks of the Speaker. Unfortunately, the opposition is obstructionist and behaving destructively.”
The Union minister also said that the opposition’s recent statement from the Rajya Sabha shows their “lack of faith” in the army. He said, “This shows their complete lack of faith in the military, which is demoralizing the armed forces. It is in the best interest of the country that the opposition does not question the sensitive matters of security and the smooth functioning of Parliament to uphold democratic values.”
He further expected the opposition, especially the Congress, to respect the army and jawans at the border. He said that the Defense Minister has already made a detailed statement in the Rajya Sabha, following which they expect the opposition, especially the Congress, to respect the army, the jawans on the border, and their commitment to the nation.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on 13th December, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Indian Army bravely prevented Chinese PLA troops from encroaching on Indian territory and forced them to turn back. On Saturday, he said that be it Galwan or Tawang, India’s defence forces have always shown courage and displayed their might on every occasion.
Goyal’s remarks came after a joint statement by Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Communist Party of India (CPI).
Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Samajwadi Party (SP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and Kerala Congress boycotted the Rajya Sabha demanding a discussion on the recent clashes. The opposition sought to take up the issue with Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge, saying nothing is bigger than the country and demanded a detailed discussion on the 9th December standoff at the LAC between the neighbouring countries.
The leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha said, “They are encroaching on our land. If we do not discuss this issue, then what else should we discuss? We are ready to discuss this issue in the House.” Kharge said that the Rajya Sabha Chairman has the powers under the rules to accept adjournment notices submitted by several MPs to discuss the issue of the India-China border situation.
However, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked the opposition MPs not to change it and rejected the opposition’s demand. Dhankhar said he cannot take note of notices that fail to follow the rules, and reprimanded Rajya Sabha MPs for disrupting the proceedings of the House.
