Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said he felt sad that the Opposition did not allow him the opportunity to be introduced in Parliament by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first from the tribal community to hold the post.
He was referring to the stormy start of the Parliament's Monsoon Session Monday with the Opposition, protesting over a host of issues including farm laws and fuel price hike, preventing the prime minister from introducing newly-inducted Union ministers, a customary practice.
Mr Rijiju wrote on Twitter: "But I'm sad. As the first Tribal to be Minister of Law and Justice of the country, I didn't get the opportunity to be introduced in the Parliament by Hon'ble PM as Congress and allies disrupted the introduction of Council of Ministers in which SC, ST, OBC & Women got a big place."
But I'm sad. As the first Tribal to be Minister of Law and Justice of the country, I didn't get the opportunity to be introduced in the Parliament by Hon'ble PM as Congress and allies disrupted the introduction of Council of Ministers in which SC, ST, OBC & Women got a big place https://t.co/Utd2qNFsW2
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 19, 2021The disruption by Opposition members drew sharp criticism from Prime Minister Modi also who accused them of being unable to digest the fact that a large number of new ministers are women, Dalits, tribals and those from other backward classes.
The prime minister said he expected members of the House to show enthusiasm by thumping their desks to welcome the ministers, most of whom have come from backward and rural backgrounds with many being children of farmers.
"However, probably, some people did not like that people of such background have become ministers and that is why they are now conducting themselves in such a manner," the prime minister said in Lok Sabha.
In Rajya Sabha too, opposition members, some of them in the Well, raised slogans forcing repeated adjournments.
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