Amit Shah Provides a 24-Hour Window in Parliament For Discussion and Will Be Available To Answer All Questions

Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, on Wednesday gave an exceptional offer to the opposition. According to Shah, he would be available in parliament for 24 hours starting from 3 pm on Wednesday till 3 pm on Thursday in order to allow the opposition the opportunity to raise the concerns and discuss the matters. Shah said that he is ready to answer all the questions which the opposition wants to ask from him in these 24 hours.

The offer is given after weeks of deadlock during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. The opposition has been causing disruptions on a number of occasions and has demanded that the Home Minister makes his statement on alleged police excesses during the protest of students against the government on July 20 in Delhi, and about some allegations regarding donations made for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had made it clear that the government was ready for a discussion only if the Opposition did not disturb the proceedings. The offer by Shah this time looks more like an attempt to test the nerves of the Opposition by opening up an unending window of discussion than offering a fixed period of debate.

The opposition, which includes Congress party along with other INDIA parties, claims that the stand-off will continue until Shah goes to Parliament to talk about these matters. Leaders from the Congress Party, such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, claim that the government is shirking responsibility, while the BJP says that the Opposition is making disturbances to avoid a meaningful discussion.

Whether or not the Opposition will agree to the 24-hour discussion offer made by Shah is yet to be seen. With the trend of the confrontations in this session, including walkouts and slogans and constant adjournments, the political observers will be watching out to see if this is indeed a turning point in this political deadlock.