Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday appealed to all political parties for a constructive debate in the upcoming session of the Parliament and said the country wants to see good discussions in the House. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on June 24 and will continue till July 3.
Rijiju, who took charge of his new responsibility on Tuesday, said the government wants to run Parliament through consensus as people have given a mandate and everyone should work as 'Team India' to serve the nation.
"We should have quality debate in Parliament. The country wants to see meaningful debate in Parliament. I appeal for cooperation from all political parties for smooth running of the house," he said. Rijiju said the government wants participation and cooperation from all political parties in running the House. "If everyone plays a positive role, the Parliament will function properly," he said.
Asked about the higher number of opposition MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha and whether it would be a challenge, the minister said there are challenges but it also provides an opportunity to serve the nation.
"The people of the nation have given us a mandate to serve the country and we will perform our duty," he said. Rijiju said according to the democratic process, those who get the people's mandate should run the government and the NDA got the people's mandate. And those who got the people's verdict to sit in the opposition should perform the role of constructive opposition, he said.
"The country is run by a government led by the honourable prime minister. But Parliament is run by both treasury and opposition through debate and discussions. Even if we don't agree on certain issues, we should have discussions. That is why we believe in consensus," he said. Earlier, Rijiju said first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on June 24 and will continue till July 3.
The first three days of the session will see the newly-elected members taking oath or making affirmation of their membership of the Lok Sabha and electing the Speaker of the House. President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on June 27 and is likely to outline the new government's roadmap for the next five years.
Rijiju, a four-time MP from Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency, got elected this time after he defeated his nearest Congress rival by a margin of over 1 lakh votes.
