Dummy ministers, only lectures: Kharge slams Rijiju, treasury bench in RS

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday served up the spectacle of the treasury benches apparently seeking sobriety in the midst of an international crisis, and the Opposition wondering aloud whether anyone in the government is actually authorised to take decisions.

Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge triggered a particularly raw nerve when he dismissed ministers as “dummy”, suggesting they possess plenty of talking points but precious little authority.

“Should we attend to listen to your lecture? What authority do you have? You are all dummy ministers. You don’t have power,” Kharge said, while demanding that the government explain why Parliament was not allowed a substantive discussion on the West Asia crisis.

The remark landed squarely on Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who had just finished lecturing the Opposition about national unity and decorum — a staple feature of debates where the government prefers statements over scrutiny.

Tempers rose after Kharge questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from an all-party meeting on the crisis, while Rijiju countered by accusing the Opposition of “playing politics” during a sensitive geopolitical situation.

Rijiju also took the opportunity to accuse Kharge of failing to uphold the dignity of his office — a charge delivered while simultaneously insisting the Opposition listen more and speak less.

The government’s defence rested heavily on the argument that statements had already been made in both Houses and that the prime minister had addressed the matter, therefore further discussion appeared, in its view, somewhat unnecessary.

Kharge, however, appeared unimpressed by what he suggested was a one-way communication model. “They want to speak what they want, but they don’t want to listen,” Rijiju complained, apparently unaware that this is precisely the accusation the Opposition has been levelling for several sessions now.

Adding procedural urgency to the day’s theatre, the Chair announced that the House would skip lunch and sit late to push through legislative business including the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026 and amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

Rijiju even offered that BJP members would “sacrifice” some of their speaking time — a generous gesture that did little to reassure an Opposition already convinced that discussion slots are allocated with the enthusiasm of a reluctant host.

Kharge pointed out that he had written twice seeking a short-duration discussion on the West Asia conflict, noting that rising fuel and gas prices were affecting citizens globally.

“What is this? Is it democracy?” he asked, objecting to what he described as the government’s habit of finalising agendas first and accommodating debate later — if at all.

For the treasury benches, the larger grievance appeared to be tone; for the Opposition, it was relevance. The government stressed that it had taken steps to cushion fuel prices despite global volatility, while simultaneously urging political unity.

Kharge’s “dummy ministers” barb, however, cut through the procedural noise — raising the more uncomfortable question of whether the current crop of ministers are expected to defend policy or merely narrate it.

With PTI inputs