Former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman and veteran Congress leader P.J. Kurien on Thursday (August 6, 2026) urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to “perform the duty of directing” Union Home Minister Amit Shah to be present in the House and respond to the questions raised by the Opposition members.

In a letter to the Speaker, Mr. Kurien said that as a citizen of the country, he was disappointed over the “non-functioning” of the House and its “failure” to ensure the accountability of the government and avoid the “consequent stalemate”.

Noting that the Lok Sabha was not functioning for about one week because the Union Home Minister was “not coming to the House to respond to the questions of his department raised by the Opposition members”, he said in a democracy, the Opposition had an equally important role to play as the ruling party.

Constitutional duty

He said the government was accountable to Parliament and it was the constitutional duty of the Opposition to ensure accountability. It was the constitutional duty of the Speaker to protect the rights of members in their effort to ensure accountability, said Mr. Kurien, adding that if the Union Home Minister “evaded” Parliament continuously, he was “failing to perform his constitutional duty”.

“In such a situation, Hon’ble Speaker, being the custodian of the House, has the duty to intervene to save Parliament from being defunct and to avoid stalemate. It is the duty of the Hon’ble Speaker to direct the government that the Home Minister has to be present in the House and give a reply to questions about his department,” he said.

Mr. Kurien said the presiding officers had on umpteen occasions given such directions and that it was the precedent and practice of the House. “Can I request the Hon’ble Speaker to perform the duty of directing the Home Minister to be present in the House or asking the government to ensure his presence in the House. With all humility I do so,” he added.

Published - August 06, 2026 11:13 pm IST