Opposition can’t dictate who responds: Rijiju on Shah demand amid NEET row

Amid a demand from the Congress and other parties that Home Minister Amit Shah should answer questions on the recent police action on protesting students here, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday asserted in the Lok Sabha that the opposition cannot dictate which minister will come to the House and respond.

As the House proceedings were disrupted again, Rijiju also said that Shah comes to Parliament every day and stays till late night. Shah is a man whose name sends shivers down the spine of extremists and terrorists, he said amid thumping of desks by members of the treasury benches.

“The day discussion begins here (in Lok Sabha) and when Amit Shah responds, you (opposition) won’t be able to hear (digest),” Rijiju told the protesting members.

According to the procedure, the minister who has listed business has to come to the House. “You cannot dictate which minister will come to the House and who will respond. That is decided by the Government and the Chair,” the parliamentary affairs minister said. The opposition has been demanding a response from Shah on the police crackdown on students, who were protesting against the NEET paper leak in the national capital last month.

As a result of the protests on this issue and other matters, the Monsoon session, which commenced on July 20, has witnessed continuous disruptions. Rijiju also told the opposition members to stop disrupting the proceedings.

Chairman CP Radhakrishnan had on Thursday asked Rijiju to “echo the sentiments” of the opposition to the home minister as the opposition members continued with their demand for a response from Shah.

Amid the din on Friday, the House was adjourned to meet on Monday. During the Zero Hour, which went on for nearly 16 minutes, the House passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSME) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 without debate. Besides, papers were listed as well as reports of various parliamentary committees were tabled.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Rijiju said Parliament continues to function despite repeated disruptions by the opposition.

“We have transacted business and passed the MSME Bill in the Lok Sabha. Business is continuing. Discussions have been fewer because the Congress and opposition parties disrupted proceedings by raising slogans.

“But business has been transacted and all NDA members in the Rajya Sabha participated in the debate and presented their views. There should be no confusion that the House has not functioned,” he said.

Rijiju added that the House has functioned and bills have been passed. Only the discussions have been fewer because of the disruptions,” he told reporters.

The minister clarified that there is no question of a special session while Parliament is already in session.  “There is no proposal for a special session. The Monsoon session is currently underway. How can we talk about a special session while the current session is still in progress?” he said.