Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 8: The deadlock in Parliament entered its fourth week on Friday as Opposition parties continued protests over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s absence from both Houses and their demand for a statement on the alleged police crackdown on protesting students.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back at the Opposition, saying Shah’s name “sends shivers down the spine of terrorists” and claimed that the Opposition “will not be able to digest” his response when the Home Minister speaks in Parliament.

Rijiju’s remarks came as Opposition members intensified protests in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, targeting the government over Shah’s absence. It was expected that Shah would respond to the debate on the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) next week.

“When Amit Shah responds in the House, the Opposition won’t be able to digest,” Rijiju told protesting members.

Defending the government’s position, Rijiju said the minister who lists government business is required to come to the House, but the Opposition cannot decide which minister should respond.

“You cannot dictate which minister will come to the House and who will respond. That is decided by the government and the Chair,” he said.

In the Rajya Sabha, Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that Chairman C P Radhakrishnan had issued a direction to Shah.

Rijiju, however, rejected the claim, saying Kharge was misleading the House. He referred to Thursday’s proceedings, when Radhakrishnan had asked him to “echo the sentiments” of the Opposition to the Home Minister as members continued demanding a response from Shah.

“The LoP is misleading the House. There has been no direction by the Chair,” Rijiju said on record.

He further claimed that Shah had been present in Parliament throughout the day.

“From the time Parliament begins in the morning till it ends at night, the HM is in Parliament. There has been no direction issued for any minister to come to the House. You leave after 11 am, but the HM stays,” Rijiju said.

Responding to Rijiju, Congress MP K C Venugopal termed his statement “the biggest joke in Parliament” and said the Home Minister could have attended the discussion on the examination Bill.

“The biggest joke in Parliament was Rijiju’s statement. There was a discussion on the examination Bill, he could have come,” Venugopal said.