New Delhi, 11 Aug

Parliament on Monday passed eight Bills as Union minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Opposition parties for repeated disruptions of both the Houses of Parliament and announced that the government would proceed with the legislative agenda without their participation.

Addressing a press conference here, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju also hinted at an early end of the Monsoon session, contending that the Congress and other Opposition parties were not interested in allowing Parliament to function.

"Opposition is not interested in allowing Parliament to function. The Opposition is interested only in headline management. They do not trust democratic institutions," Rijiju said in response to a question on an early end to the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament.

The session began on 21 June and has witnessed disruptions for 14 days, barring a two-day discussion on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack. It is scheduled to last till 21 August.

The Lok Sabha passed four Bills -- The National Sports Governance Bill, The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, The Income-Tax (No 2) Bill and Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill -- amid protests from the Opposition on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

The Rajya Sabha passed The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill and The Merchant Shipping Bill, and also returned the Manipur Appropriation Bill and The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, which were already passed by the Lok Sabha.

"Every day, we will not allow the country's and Parliament's time to be wasted on one issue. Therefore, we will pass important Bills," Rijiju said.

"You have raised an issue, do it for one day. What is the point in raising the same issue every day and wasting the Parliament’s time?" he said, referring to the Opposition's protests on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Opposition parties have been demanding a rollback of the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections this year.

The Opposition has been seeking a discussion on the issue in Parliament, a demand dismissed by the government, contending that the functioning of a constitutional authority cannot be discussed in the House.

The minister claimed that some opposition members have said that they were helpless as their leader has been allowing deliberate disruption of Parliament.

"People have been elected to Parliament for public welfare, but if you are going to resort to disruptions every day, how will youserve the people?" Rijiju said.

 The minister said the Opposition has no trust in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission or Parliament.

"They attack constitutional organisations. Why do they indulge in this drama every day?" he asked.

The minister said he was making a last appeal to the Opposition, and the government will pass Bills without their participation.

"You participate in discussions. Don't say later that you were not allowed to participate in the debate. You can put across your views, move amendments and give dissent notes. It is your right. You have come to Parliament," Rijiju said.