Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the current logjam in Parliament can be resolved if the Opposition comes forward for talks and that the government will go "two steps ahead" if it takes "two steps forward".
Participating in the India Today Conclave on Friday, Mr. Shah also said there are certain issues which are above politics and even former prime minister Indira Gandhi had refused to discuss domestic politics in a foreign land.
"Let the two sides sit before the Speaker and discuss. They should come two steps forward and we will go two steps ahead. Then Parliament will start running. But you just hold a press conference and do nothing, it can't be like that," he said.
The Home Minister said a parliamentary system can't run with only the treasury or only the Opposition as both have to talk to each other.
"Despite our initiative, there has been no proposal for talks from the Opposition. So whom will we talk to? They are talking to the media. They created a slogan that there should be freedom of speech in Parliament. There is complete freedom of speech in Parliament. No one can stop you from talking," he said.
However, Mr. Shah said, everyone has to follow rules and there can't be freestyle and everyone should have to study the rules and understand them.
He said, "The debates in Parliament take place as per rules. You can't talk in Parliament like one can do on the road. If they don't have this basic concept, what can we do?"
The Home Minister said Parliament functions under certain rules and those rules were not framed by the present government.
"These rules have existed even during the times of their grandmother or father. They were taking part in debate with these rules, we are also participating as per these rules.
"They have no idea about the rules and then allege that they are not being allowed to speak. This is not acceptable. No one can just stand up and start speaking. There are rules and you have to follow those rules. There are no changes in these rules," he said.
Citing two instances, Mr. Shah said Indira Gandhi had visited England after the Emergency and at that time the Mr. Shah Commission was constituted and there were attempts to put her in jail.
"On that, some journalist had asked her [in England] how is your country doing. She said we have some issues but I don't want to say anything here. My country is running well. I won't say anything about my country. Here I am an Indian," he said quoting Indira Gandhi.
The Home Minister said former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in the Opposition and there was supposed to be a discussion on Kashmir at the United Nations.
He said a Congress government was in power at that time and that was for the first and last time that the Indian delegation was led by an Opposition leader, Vajpayee, because it was a discussion on Kashmir.
"This trust... there are some issues which are about politics. I believe that everyone should follow this tradition.
"Should we go abroad and level allegations about India and should we go to the Parliament of other countries and make comments about India? I believe the Congress will have to answer this," he said.
The first week of the second half of Parliament's Budget Session has been completely disrupted following protests by members of both ruling and Opposition parties.
While the BJP has been demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in London, the Opposition has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue.
During his interactions in London, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.
The remarks triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing previous instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad.
‘CBI, ED working impartially, most cases being probed registered during UPA time’
Mr. Shah has asserted that probe agencies like the CBI and the ED have been working impartially and except two, all cases they were investigating had been registered during the UPA government.
Participating in the event, Mr. Shah said whatever the investigating agencies were doing could be challenged in courts.
“In 2017, during Uttar Pradesh polls, a big woman leader of Congress had said if they were indulging in corruption, why there was no investigation. She was questioning us. Now they are creating a hue and cry when there has been action,” he said.
The Home Minister said these investigating agencies are not above the court and any notice, FIR and charge sheet can be challenged in the courts.
“Instead of going to the court, why are they shouting outside? I want to ask the people if there is any corruption allegation against anyone, shouldn’t there be a probe. All these cases, except two, were registered during their rule. Not during our government,” he said.
Mr. Shah said when there were allegations about scams worth ₹12 lakh crore during the 10-year rule of the Congress-led UPA regime, the government back then registered a case through the CBI to keep the situation calm.
If there is any money laundering case, the ED is bound to probe it, he said.
Asked about allegations that the probe agencies are targeting Opposition leaders, the Home Minister asked, “Who is stopping them from going to court? They have better lawyers in their party than us.” “Agencies are working impartially. I want to tell everyone that you follow the law, that is the only road,” he said.
The Opposition has been alleging that the government has been targeting its leaders through the CBI, ED and other probe agencies.
The agencies have been carrying out investigations against several leaders, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha, RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, among others.
Mr. Sisodia and Mr. Jain are currently in jail.
Asked about the probe against the Adani Group, Mr. Shah said the Supreme Court has constituted a two-member committee with retired judges and everyone should go and submit to it whatever proof they have.
“No one should be spared if any wrong has been done. Everyone should have faith in the judicial process,” he said.
He said people should not make baseless allegations as they can’t last long.
The Home Minister said market regulator SEBI has informed the court in an affidavit that it is probing the matter.
“The Supreme Court told SEBI to continue its probe, which is parallel to the other probe and submit it to the Supreme Court. SEBI has already been told and SEBI conveyed that it was conducting the investigation,” he said.
