Kiren Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday urged all political parties, including the Congress, to unite against anti-India forces, and raise their voice if they find their leaders working against the country's interest. His remarks come a day after the BJP alleged that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has links to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation and which has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation. Addressing reporters here, Rijiju said anybody found to be working with anti-India forces must be countered unitedly by all political parties. "I wish to tell the leaders and workers of the Congress that even if their own party leaders are found to be working in tandem with anti-India forces, they should raise their voice against them," Rijiju said. The minister also said that the government had informed the Congress that discussion on the Constitution will be taken up in the Lok Sabha on December 13-14 and in the Rajya Sabha on ...

Almost the entire opposition in the Lok Sabha, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday staged a brief walkout from the House over the recent violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal. As soon as the House assembled to take up the Question Hour, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav rose from his seat and raised the issue, seeking Speaker Om Birla's permission to speak on the subject. "This is a very serious matter. Five people have lost their lives," Yadav was heard saying. As the Speaker said members could raise the issue in the Zero Hour, Yadav and his party colleagues started to walk out in protest. Some SP members, meanwhile, rushed to the Well, raising slogans. While the SP members were protesting in the Well of the House, DMK member A Raja was seen exhorting other opposition members, including those from the Congress, to rise from their seats and join the SP protest. NCP and Shiv Sena-UBT members stood up in support of the Samajwadi Party MPs. Some of the

The ongoing winter session of Parliament, which commenced on November 25, has been marked by frequent adjournments, with both houses facing early disruptions

On the eve of Parliament's Winter Session, the government will meet floor leaders of political parties on Sunday to ensure the smooth functioning of the House against the backdrop of the BJP and its rival alliance's surprise victories in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, respectively. The meeting has been convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, leaders of Congress, Trinamool, DMK, Shiv Sena, BJD and others are expected to join the deliberations. The Winter Session of Parliament, beginning Monday, is scheduled to last till December 20. The government has listed 16 bills, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, for consideration, while the opposition is keen to raise the issues of the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur and the indictment of businessman Gautam Adani by a US court on allegations of bribery. Several opposition leaders have said they will raise the issue of the indictment of Adani in Parliament with Leader of the Opposition Rahul ..

Union Minister Kiren Rijuju on Saturday said that the standard of debates in the Lok Sabha has gone down since Congress leader Rahul Gandhi entered Parliament. Addressing a press conference, the Union minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, who is here to campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra election, said there is an undercurrent in favour of the BJP and Mahayuti, and the Ladki Bahin scheme will benefit the ruling alliance. "The standard of debates in the Lok Sabha has gone down since Rahul Gandhi's arrival. We have people who can talk and debate, but the Congress seems to have no one, and those who want to debate are afraid of Rahul Gandhi," he said. Rijiju claimed that many senior Congress MPs have told him they want debates and discussions, but the Leader of Opposition is not concerned because he cannot debate and reads chits given by some NGOs. He further criticised Gandhi, saying he didn't have the right to speak about Dalits, tribals, the Constitution and Dr ...

Union Minister Kiren Rijuju on Saturday said that the standard of debates in the Lok Sabha has gone down since Congress leader Rahul Gandhi entered Parliament. Addressing a press conference, the Union minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, who is here to campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra election, said there is an undercurrent in favour of the BJP and Mahayuti, and the Ladki Bahin scheme will benefit the ruling alliance. "The standard of debates in the Lok Sabha has gone down since Rahul Gandhi's arrival. We have people who can talk and debate, but the Congress seems to have no one, and those who want to debate are afraid of Rahul Gandhi," he said. Rijiju claimed that many senior Congress MPs have told him they want debates and discussions, but the Leader of Opposition is not concerned because he cannot debate and reads chits given by some NGOs. He further criticised Gandhi, saying he didn't have the right to speak about Dalits, tribals, the Constitution and Dr ...

He also expressed happiness that intellectuals and positive-minded individuals from the community support the amendment

Union Minister Kiren Rijuju on Friday claimed that the Congress has prioritised its vote bank over true development, urging the people of Maharashtra to remain cautious about the party's "misleading tactics" ahead of the state assembly elections. Addressing the media here, the BJP leader accused the Congress of dividing communities for votes. "The Congress has a long-standing policy of dividing communities to secure votes, which has only harmed the unity and progress of our nation. They continue to think of some communities as their assured vote banks while creating divisions elsewhere, but this illusion will soon break when people realise the party's intentions," Rijuju said. The Union minister for minority affairs claimed the party prioritised its vote bank over development works. He said the world respects India because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. "Earlier, Indians did not get the same respect abroad, but Modi's governance has elevated the country's image ...

The Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to begin on November 25 and continue till December 20, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday. Rijiju said a special celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution will be held in the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan on November 26, observed as Constitution Day. "Hon'ble President, on the recommendation of the Government of India, has approved the proposal for summoning both the Houses of Parliament for the Winter Session, 2024, from 25th November to 20th December, 2024 (subject to exigencies of parliamentary business)," Rijiju said. The Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill is expected to submit its report on November 29 in Parliament, if it sticks to the deadline given to it in the previous session.

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Wednesday expressed confidence the Parliament's joint committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will submit its report within the stipulated time, even as he asserted the consultation process is the most extensive in the history of the country's parliamentary democracy. Rijiju said the committee would fulfil the mandate of submitting its report before the last day of the first week of Parliament's Winter Session. "I feel the way and at the speed at which Parliament's joint committee is functioning, they should be able to table the report of the joint parliamentary committee as stipulated in the rule in the terms of reference...the committee has to submit the report before the last day of the first week of the Winter Session. They will fulfil it," Rijiju told a press conference on the first 100 days of the ministry. The dates for the Winter Session have not been announced yet. Asked about BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raising concerns over the nearly 1.2

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday asserted that department-related standing committees and consultative committees of Parliament will be constituted soon. His remarks come against the backdrop of certain opposition leaders questioning the delay in constituting standing committees, which scrutinise the functioning of Union ministries. Addressing an event of his ministry here, he said in the past too, the standing committees and consultative committees have been formed around September 15 and there was no delay. While a majority of the standing committees come under the Lok Sabha Secretariat, some are serviced by the Rajya Sabha. Department-related standing committees deal with various Union ministries and scrutinise their budgetary allocations and bills introduced in Parliament. They also recommend the government to bring bills and make policies on important issues. The consultative committees are chaired by the ministers in charge of their respective ministr

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on minorities and said they are the safest in India. Responding to a question on Gandhi's remarks in the US that RSS considers some religions, languages and communities inferior to others, Rijiju said, "No matter the amount of effort made, India cannot be defamed because India's Constitution and culture do not differentiate between people." He said people who want to defame India with the help of anti-India forces will not succeed. The Minister for Minority Affairs who also holds the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio pointed out that minorities in India's neighbourhood come here if something wrong happens to them there. "Minorities are the safest in India," he asserted. Addressing on Monday a gathering of several hundred Indian Americans in Herndon, a Virginia suburb of Washington DC, the leader of opposition accused the RSS of considering some religions, languages and communities of be

Kiren Rijiju accused Mamata Banerjee of exploiting the doctor's tragic death for political gain, alleging that the chief minister had 'failed to act' to prevent the crime

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs arrived at the Bhubaneshwar airport on Saturday morning to attend the inauguration of Orientation programme for newly elected MLAs of 17th Odisha Assembly

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday launched the Jiyo Parsi scheme portal that would enable Parsis to apply, check the status of their application and to receive financial assistance online through direct benefit transfer mode. The Jiyo Parsi scheme is a unique central sector scheme implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs with the objective to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions, and to stabilise their population. The scheme provides financial assistance to Parsi couples for medical treatment under standard medical protocol and towards childcare and assistance to the dependent elderly. Rijiju launched the scheme portal in the presence of Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian and National Commission for Minorities Chairperson Iqbal Singh Lalpura, among others. Speaking on the occasion, Rijiju emphasised the rich heritage and culture of the Parsi community and underlined t

Six recognised minorities, technically and by definition we are minority but by no means, emotionally, socially.... no one in this country is minority, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju added

Opposition parties have criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it an attack on the Constitution, religious freedoms, and the federal structure of India

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is listed for introduction by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha

With the government likely to table in Parliament a bill to amend the Wakf Act, 1995, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiu on Monday said that continuous demands and representations were made by common Muslims to make regulation of waqf properties more transparent and efficient. He, however, did not comment on the bill during his brief intercation with reporters. The bill, which was recently passed by the Union Cabinet, has not been introduced in Parliament yet. "For a long time there have been continuous demands and representations from the poor and common Muslims, including women, to make waqf properties more transparent and efficient," Rijiju said. The bill to amend the Wakf Act will make it mandatory for waqf boards to register their properties with district collectors to ensure their actual valuation. There are 30 waqf boards in the country. Sources said the revenue generated by all waqf properties was estimated at Rs 200 crore per annum. This is not in sync with the

As Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised questions on the presiding officer in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kiren Rijiju hit back at the former Congress chief, saying he has no intention to follow constitutional norms while participating in parliamentary debates. The two ministers slammed Gandhi for questioning Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's authority during a debate on the Union Budget in the House. "I condemn the manner in which the leader of opposition attacked the speaker and spoke with disregard for the rules and procedures of the House," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju said. Information and Broadcasting Minister Vaishnaw said there was a history to Gandhi's behaviour. "Rahul Gandhi had once torn an ordinance promulgated by his own party's government. I do not think he has any intention to follow constitutional norms," Vaishnaw said. He said it was unfortunate that despite holding a constitutional post, Gandhi's behaviour in the House .