JAMMU, Aug 10: Senior BJP leader and former Sarpanch Adv Devraj Sharma on Monday strongly criticised the Congress-led Opposition parties for continuing their disruption of Parliament despite the government’s repeated assurance that it is ready to discuss all issues concerning the NEET paper leak and other matters of public importance.
Sharma said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has already made it clear in Parliament that the government is prepared to discuss the NEET issue, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also responded to the concerns raised by the Opposition. Despite these assurances, he said, the continued ruckus in Parliament raises serious questions about the Opposition’s real intentions.
“The government has clearly stated that it is ready for a discussion and has also responded to the concerns being raised. If the Opposition still chooses disruption over debate, it becomes evident that its objective is not to seek answers for students but to prevent Parliament from functioning smoothly,” Sharma said.
He maintained that issues relating to students and competitive examinations are extremely important and deserve a serious, constructive and fact-based discussion inside Parliament. According to him, Parliament is the appropriate forum where elected representatives can raise concerns, seek clarifications from the government and suggest corrective measures.
“Students and their families expect political parties to act responsibly. When Parliament is disrupted, valuable time that could be utilised to discuss education, employment, examination reforms and other public concerns is lost,” Sharma said.
The BJP leader accused the Congress-led Opposition of adopting a pattern in which disruption has increasingly become the preferred political strategy whenever Parliament meets. He said that before the commencement of almost every parliamentary session, Opposition parties appear to decide upon issues and tactics aimed at creating disruptions rather than allowing the House to function according to democratic parliamentary conventions.
Sharma said disagreement is an integral part of democracy, but disagreement should be expressed through debate, discussion and reasoned arguments rather than repeated interruptions and disorder.He recalled that Parliament provides both the Treasury Benches and the Opposition with constitutional space to put forward their respective positions. “The government has the responsibility to answer questions, while the Opposition has the responsibility to question the government. Both responsibilities can be fulfilled only when Parliament is allowed to function,” he said.
Taking a particular dig at the Opposition’s conduct over the NEET controversy, Sharma said that genuine concern for students would require a constructive discussion on examination security, transparency, accountability and measures to prevent irregularities. Creating repeated disruptions, he added, would not solve the problems faced by students.
He urged Opposition parties to rise above political calculations and allow Parliament to conduct meaningful business. “The country expects its elected representatives to debate issues of national importance with seriousness and maturity. Parliament belongs to the people, and repeatedly preventing it from functioning ultimately amounts to denying the people an opportunity to see their concerns debated on the nation’s highest democratic platform,” Sharma said.
Sharma asserted that the government has demonstrated its willingness to engage with the Opposition and address issues through parliamentary debate. He appealed to all political parties to respect parliamentary democracy, allow discussions to take place and ensure that the concerns of students and the wider public remain at the centre of parliamentary proceedings.