Kharge, Rijiju Clash Over Rule 240 in Rajya Sabha

The Story in Brief

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clashed in the Rajya Sabha over Rule 240, which lets the Chair stop speeches deemed irrelevant or repetitive. Rijiju said Kharge had raised the “Chanda Chori” issue and the absence of Home Minister Amit Shah for seven days, despite earlier rulings. Kharge replied that the rule gives the Chair discretion and does not bar members from pursuing unresolved demands.

The Monsoon Session began on July 20. Times Now News reports that, until August 5, repeated disruptions left about 30% of allotted hours functional. The report also puts Parliament’s daily running cost at around Rs. 9 crore. Rijiju said disruptions had prevented newer members, including Congress MP Pawan Khera, from making maiden speeches.

The Indian Opinion

The lazy story is that Rule 240 either silences the Opposition or gives it a free pass. It does neither. The Chair must decide whether a point is genuinely repetitive, while the government should answer unresolved issues instead of relying only on procedure. Disruptions also deny other MPs their speaking time and waste public money. The useful test is simple: how many sitting hours and maiden speeches are actually recovered before the session ends?

Source: timesnownews.com

This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.

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