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Rijiju said Members of Parliament are independent to make decisions based on their own judgment.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju at News18 India Amrit Bharat Samman 2026 event in New Delhi.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday addressed recent political realignments within opposition parties, saying such developments are a natural part of a democratic system and cannot be prevented.
Speaking at the News18 India Amrit Bharat Samman 2026 event in New Delhi, Rijiju said elected representatives are free to make their own political choices and cannot be compelled to remain aligned with a particular party or group.
“There are political circumstances. There is a parliamentary democracy in India. Nothing is fixed in a democracy. Somebody will win, somebody will move here and there,” Rijiju said.
Emphasising the distinction between democracy and authoritarian systems, the minister said, “There is no military rule or dictatorship in India. In a democracy, nobody can bind anyone.”
Rijiju said Members of Parliament are independent to make decisions based on their own judgment.
“They are MPs, not children. They work with their own diligence and understanding. One can question why they made a particular decision, but nobody can stop them,” he said.
Taking a swipe at opposition parties facing internal dissent, Rijiju added, “It is good that they are coming to our side.”
His remarks come after 20 Trinamool Congress MPs moved to the Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI) and extended support to the BJP-led NDA.
Reacting to reports of a possible split within Shiv Sena (UBT), Rijiju said, “If their MPs are leaving them, what can we do? They are not joining the BJP. If two parties are talking to each other, how can I interfere in that process?”
As the NDA inches towards a two-thirds majority in Parliament, there are speculations that the government might introduce Women’s Reservation and Delimitation Bills during Parliament’s upcoming Monsoon Session. These two bills were defeated in the Lok Sabha during the budget session earlier this year.
However, Rijiju said there had been no discussion on either issue in the Union Cabinet so far.
About the Author
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
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