New Delhi, 19 October (H.S.): Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in response to his demand for an all-party meeting to discuss the constitutional amendment bill related to delimitation. Rijiju said the government had made several attempts to consult the Opposition and seek its cooperation on the issue. He urged the Congress to extend constructive support to the proposed legislation rather than reiterate its demand for a meeting.

In his letter to Kharge on Monday, Rijiju responded to the Congress president’s communication dated October 16, in which Kharge had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting before Parliament considered the constitutional amendment relating to delimitation. Rijiju also addressed concerns raised over the fact that Parliament had not been prorogued after the Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die on August 13.

Rijiju said the Constitution does not prescribe a specific time limit within which a parliamentary session must be prorogued. He noted that there had been several previous instances in which Parliament remained unprorogued for extended periods.

Citing the Lok Sabha’s functioning in 2008, he said the House had met for two days in July before reconvening on October 17 and being adjourned on October 24. He also referred to precedents from 1987, 1989, 2006, 2013 and 1963.

Rijiju said the government had written to the Congress on March 16, March 26 and April 12, 2026, seeking its cooperation on the proposed constitutional amendment bill concerning delimitation. He also claimed that he had personally discussed the matter with Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, during the Monsoon Session.

In the letter, Rijiju said the government had approached other political parties after the Congress failed to provide a date for discussions. Consultations were subsequently held with representatives of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Samajwadi Party, YSR Congress Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to build a broader consensus on the issue.

Rijiju reiterated that the government remained committed to parliamentary democracy and the participation of all political parties. He expressed the expectation that the Congress would play a constructive role in deliberations on important legislation and refrain from obstructing future legislative business.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar