No discussion on home ministry in Parliament, but why?

Two Trinamool Congress (TMC) members of the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose, have drawn attention to the Opposition demand for a discussion on the functioning of the all-powerful Union home ministry during the current Budget session, which is expected to conclude on 12 August.

No time has apparently been allotted in the Lok Sabha for any such discussion in this session. Possibly because the Rajya Sabha had not issued its full schedule until Friday, the Opposition has seized the opportunity to draw the chair’s attention to the demand.

When was the home ministry last discussed in Parliament? When did the Union home minister answer questions about his ministry? While most observers cannot readily recall when, they agree that the home ministry is among the more important ones in government. 

The ministry not only handles all Central investigative and police organisations in the country, its mandate extends to foreigners, citizenship, human rights, women’s safety, official languages, Centre-state relations, inter-state relations, administration of Union Territories, prison reforms and so on. It is also responsible for internal security and border management. The staff strength of the department is also significantly higher than many other ministries.

Yet, there seems to be no urgency to discuss its functioning and performance in Parliament. As O'Brien wrote in an X post, "15 opposition parties want a discussion on the Working of Ministry of Home Affairs. This is a top priority. The Rajya Sabha is the council of states, every state has to deal with the home ministry. We want to engage with the home minister."

In the video attached to the post, O’Brien is heard addressing the Rajya Sabha chairman saying, “I appeal to the chair, please do not shy away from it [the Opposition demand]. We want to speak to the home minister and want to hear from him.”

Fellow TMC MP Sagarika Ghose posted on X, "Eight union ministries, at the moment, are being discussed in parliament. Eight union ministries are going to be discussed in both houses of parliament. The opposition is unitedly appealing that the union home ministry be discussed in the parliament. There are many urgent issues regarding the ministry that need to be discussed."

While Biju Janata Dal joined the 15 parties belonging to the INDIA bloc in urging the government to hold a debate in the Upper House in this session, the YSR Congress party and the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi are the only opposition parties which did not endorse the demand.

The TMC had earlier raised the issue during Wednesday’s business advisory committee meeting, and also shot off a letter to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday, which argued that “ministry of home affairs is an important area where the federal structure needs to be clearly demarcated and respected”. 

In the Budget session so far, the Rajya Sabha has held discussions on ministries of urban development and housing and agriculture. Rajya Dhankhar announced that the House would also discuss the ministry of new and renewable energy. On the demand for a discussion on the MHA, however, he has maintained a studied silence so far.