OPPOSITION INTERESTED IN PLAYING POLITICS, NOT DISCUSSING BUDGET

THE FIRST budget of the first Narendra Modi government in 2014 had seen finance minister Arun Jaitley painstakingly replying to questions, winning grudging admiration of the opposition's floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

KIREN RIJIJU

PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER

Now with a combative Rahul Gandhi in the saddle and after a decade of confrontations between the government and the opposition, running a smooth house is not an easy task for Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Rijiju says his personal interactions with Congress leaders, including Kharge, are cordial, but in Parliament a belligerent opposition is trying to score political points. Helming the crucial task of defending the government's economic blueprint in the house, he says the budget is important for the implementation of the Viksit Bharat vision of the Modi government. "Its success depends on cooperative federalism, as state governments hold the key to smooth implementation of budgetary provisions," he says. Excerpts from an interview:

Q How has the Lok Sabha election results impacted parliamentary proceedings?

A This budget session is special because it is the first budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic third term. This is an occasion for the democratically elected government to present to the people the progressive steps being taken to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat. It is also an opportunity for citizens to become aware of how they will benefit from the work being done by the government.