No Rajya Sabha Chair direction for Amit Shah to attend house, government says

The Indian Parliament's Upper House, the Rajya Sabha, experienced continued discord as the opposition pressed for Union Home Minister Amit Shah to address alleged police excesses against students. The government, however, maintained that the Rajya Sabha Chairman, CP Radhakrishnan, did not issue a specific directive for Shah to appear in the House.

“

LoP is trying to disturb the house… There was no direction from the Chair. I want to say on record that from morning to late night the home minister is in Parliament. Only those ministers reply in the house who have business listed against their name…The Opposition will not decide which minister will speak and when… they are trying to mislead the country.

On Thursday, Chairman Radhakrishnan had reportedly asked Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju to "echo the sentiments of the Opposition" to Home Minister Amit Shah. This statement was interpreted by the opposition as a direction for Shah to come to the House and respond to their concerns about the July 20 protests against paper leaks. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the opposition's request for a statement from Shah, with Congress leaders heard remarking that the government lacked "maryada" (honor) towards the Chair's comments.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju quickly countered these claims on Friday. He stated on record that no direction was given by the Chair to any minister to appear in the House. Rijiju characterized the Chairman's remark as merely an "observation." He further argued that only ministers with listed business against their names reply in the House and that the opposition cannot dictate which minister speaks or when. Rijiju accused the opposition of attempting to disturb the house and mislead the country, emphasizing that the Home Minister works late into the night for the country's governance.

“

... We had made a request…for the minister to come…

Rijiju also defended Amit Shah's presence and effectiveness, stating that Shah's name makes terrorists tremble and that the opposition would not have the courage to listen when he eventually speaks. He asserted that opposition parties were trying to create a false narrative of the minister's absence from Parliament. The opposition's demand for Shah's statement has been a recurring point of disruption in parliamentary proceedings.

“

Amit Shah is a name that makes terrorists tremble. The day the debate begins in Parliament and the Home Minister gives his reply, you will not be able to hear it.