New, Delhi, December 30: The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the Parliament should not become a platform for scoring political brownie points. He was addressing a seminar on “Revitalizing Parliamentary Democracy in India” on the occasion of the 187th anniversary celebrations of Kolkata Chamber of Commerce, in Kolkata today.
The Vice President called for serious introspection on the part of political parties to see that Parliament does not become a platform for scoring political brownie points. There is no other alternative but to ensure that Parliament functions in an effective and responsive manner to further peace, progress and prosperity in the country, he added.
The Vice President expressed concern over the functioning of Parliament in the backdrop of the severe criticism from various quarters, including the parliamentary fraternity itself. This criticism may be due to a decline, in recent years, in both the quantity and quality of parliamentary work, he added.
The Vice President said that over the years, Parliament’s legislative business and the number of hours it devotes to debate crucial issues of national importance have come down. Even, the relatively fewer days when the Parliament meets are often marked by pandemonium, resulting in frequent adjournments on trivial topics, he added.
The Vice President said that disruptions during parliament session are a matter of great concern as they have become the order of the day with the political parties failing to rein in their members. He further said that at present ‘healthy debate and discussions, the hallmark of Parliamentary democracy’ are overshadowed by disruption, confrontation, and forced adjournments of the house. There is a need for political parties to arrive at a consensus on this important issue so that the precious time of the Parliament and legislatures is not wasted on issues which can be best resolved through debates and dialogues, he added.
