JAMMU, Aug 13: Senior BJP leader and former Sarpanch Advocate Devraj Sharma today launched a sharp attack on the Rahul Gandhi-led Opposition parties, accusing them of deliberately disrupting the Monsoon Session of Parliament and preventing meaningful debate on issues of national importance.
Sharma said the repeated disruptions have once again exposed the Opposition’s “negative politics” and its unwillingness to allow Parliament to function in a democratic and constructive manner. He alleged that the Opposition entered the session with a predetermined agenda to obstruct proceedings rather than participate in debate and discussion.
“The Monsoon Session has once again exposed the real face of the Opposition. They never wanted discussion or debate. Their objective was to somehow keep Parliament paralysed,” Sharma said, adding that the people of the country expect their elected representatives to use Parliament for legislation, debate and accountability rather than repeated disruptions.
He said the Opposition repeatedly changed its goalposts during the session. According to Sharma, whenever the Government showed willingness to consider issues raised by the Opposition, its leaders allegedly moved away from discussion instead of utilizing the opportunity to put forward their arguments on the floor of the House.
Sharma termed this approach a serious disservice to parliamentary democracy and taxpayers. He pointed out that Parliament’s productivity remained extremely low, with the Lok Sabha functioning at around 17 per cent and Rajya Sabha at around 30 per cent, resulting in the loss of valuable legislative time and public money.
“Every minute of Parliament belongs to the people of India. Crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money are spent on running Parliament, and that money is meant to facilitate democratic governance, not political obstruction,” he said.
The BJP leader also accused the Opposition of maintaining “double standards” on student-related issues. Referring to the Opposition’s approach towards student protests at Jantar Mantar and the situation involving students in Jharkhand, Sharma alleged that the Opposition had adopted one standard for students protesting in one place and an entirely different standard for students facing action elsewhere.
He questioned why political parties claiming to champion the rights of students and young people did not apply the same principles uniformly. “Democracy cannot have one set of rules for Jantar Mantar students and another for students in Jharkhand. If the Opposition genuinely believes in the rights of students, it must speak with the same voice everywhere,” he said.
Sharma said the alleged contradiction had further exposed what he described as the “hypocrisy” of Opposition parties. He maintained that political convenience should not determine whether an issue deserves attention or whether students’ concerns should be raised.
He urged Opposition MPs to introspect and understand that Parliament is not a platform merely for political confrontation. “The Opposition has every democratic right to criticize the Government, raise issues and demand answers, but it has no moral justification for repeatedly preventing Parliament from functioning,” he said.
Sharma further said that robust democracy requires both the Government and Opposition to discharge their respective responsibilities. While the Government must remain accountable and responsive, the Opposition must also contribute constructively through debate, scrutiny and reasoned criticism.
He said the people had sent MPs to Parliament with the expectation that they would represent public concerns, participate in law-making and hold the Government accountable through democratic mechanisms.
“The people of India deserve a functioning Parliament. They deserve debates on employment, development, national security, education, agriculture, infrastructure and other issues affecting their daily lives. They do not deserve repeated adjournments and political theatrics,” Sharma said.
He asserted that the latest session should serve as a lesson for the Opposition to reconsider its strategy. Instead of constantly shifting demands and disrupting proceedings, Opposition parties should come prepared for substantive debate and allow Parliament to function.
Sharma said the BJP and the Government remain committed to parliamentary democracy and urged the Opposition to abandon what he called its “politics of obstruction” and join constructive discussions in the larger national interest.“The credibility of Parliament is above party politics. Those who repeatedly obstruct its functioning must answer the people for the precious time and public money lost,” he added.