Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; New Delhi | July 30 : Union Health Minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha J.P. Nadda on Thursday strongly criticized the Opposition for repeatedly disrupting parliamentary proceedings, accusing it of deliberately obstructing the functioning of Parliament instead of participating in constructive debates. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Nadda asserted that the Narendra Modi-led government remains fully prepared to discuss every issue raised by the Opposition and is committed to ensuring meaningful parliamentary deliberations.

Speaking during the ongoing Monsoon Session, Nadda alleged that the Opposition's primary objective since the commencement of the session has been to prevent Parliament from functioning smoothly. Instead of engaging in discussions on matters of public importance, he said, Opposition members have repeatedly resorted to protests and disruptions inside the House.

The senior BJP leader further claimed that the Opposition lacks genuine issues concerning public welfare and therefore continues to change its stand on various matters. According to Nadda, the government has consistently expressed its willingness to hold discussions on every issue, not only during the current session but in every previous session of Parliament as well.

Emphasizing the government's commitment to parliamentary debate, Nadda said the administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never shied away from discussions and has always been ready to answer questions raised by the Opposition. He maintained that whenever debates have taken place, the government has responded comprehensively, while the Opposition has failed to provide convincing arguments and has found itself uncomfortable in the face of the government's replies.

Nadda also pointed out that the very issue on which the Opposition has been demanding a discussion was already scheduled for debate in Parliament. He informed the House that Union Minister Jitendra Singh was slated to initiate the discussion at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. In addition, a Bill had also been listed for discussion during the day's business.

Despite these arrangements, Nadda alleged, the Opposition continued to alter its position and repeatedly disrupted parliamentary proceedings instead of participating in the scheduled debate. He strongly condemned what he described as the Opposition's irresponsible conduct and said such repeated disruptions undermine the dignity and effective functioning of Parliament.

The Union Minister's remarks came against the backdrop of continued disruptions in both Houses of Parliament. Earlier in the day, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2:00 p.m. after Opposition members staged persistent protests and raised slogans soon after the Question Hour commenced.

The House assembled, Opposition MPs stood up from their seats and began raising slogans over various issues, prompting repeated appeals from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to allow the Question Hour to continue. Birla emphasized that the Question Hour is one of the most important rights of Members of Parliament, serving as a crucial mechanism for ensuring the government's accountability to the legislature.

The Speaker urged members not to disrupt proceedings and appealed to them to allow parliamentary business to continue smoothly. However, as the protests continued unabated despite his repeated requests, Om Birla eventually adjourned the Lok Sabha until 2:00 p.m., bringing the morning proceedings to an abrupt halt.

The developments once again highlighted the ongoing confrontation between the government and the Opposition during the Monsoon Session, with repeated disruptions affecting the legislative agenda even as the government maintained that it remains open to discussions on all issues raised in Parliament.