Parliament disruptions a ‘big strike on democracy’: Harivansh

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Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh expressed deep disappointment over repeated disruptions in the monsoon session, calling the opposition’s conduct a ‘big strike on the foundations’ of democracy and an attempt to undermine its credibility.

Expressing deep disappointment over the repeated disruptions in the monsoon session of Parliament, during which the opposition parties resorted to constant sloganeering over their demands, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh has said “whatever happened was a big strike on the foundations” of democracy in the country and “an attempt to undermine the credibility of Parliamentary democracy”.In an interview with ANI, Harivansh said that while there is constant invoking of the Constitution and copies of it being carried around, “what is the nature of our actual conduct”. Twelve bills were passed in the monsoon session of Parliament amid opposition protests. While there was brief debate on bills in the Rajya Sabha, the bills were mostly passed without any debate in the Lok Sabha amid the din by the opposition parties over their demands.”While official data indicates the volume of work accomplished–or the lack thereof–the situation represents an attempt to undermine the credibility of Parliamentary democracy, render it ineffective and untrustworthy, and sow seeds of doubt among the public and society regarding their elected representatives. It is an attempt to dismantle parliamentary democracy itself,” he said.

‘Speaking as a concerned citizen’

Harivansh said he was speaking as a concerned citizen. “I am speaking as a concerned citizen of this country. I have been a journalist for a long time and politics has been my passion. I joined the JP movement as a student and then entered politics. Then I have been a Member of Parliament for the last 12 years. As an MP, I am perhaps the first person who, even after becoming Deputy Chairman, sits continuously in the proceedings of Parliament and has hardly ever been absent after becoming Deputy Chairman,” he said.

Responsibility of government and opposition

Answering a query, Harivansh said it is the responsibility of both the treasury benches and the opposition to ensure the smooth running of Parliament. “The responsibility lies equally with the government and the opposition, and if even one side is determined to stall proceedings, we witness scenes like the ones we saw… We constantly invoke the Constitution and carry copies of it around, but what is the nature of our actual conduct?” he asked.

Monsoon session sees low productivity

The monsoon session of Parliament saw low productivity in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over opposition demands, including a statement by Home Minister Amit Shah over “police action against protestors” in the national capital on July 20. The two Houses saw repeated adjournments, with the Chair repeatedly urging opposition members to allow normal proceedings. The disruptions were also witnessed during the Question Hour.The government later said that it is ready for debate on the students’ protest and the Home Minister will reply to the but the Congress and other opposition parties did not agree to the offer.The monsoon session of Parliament began on July 20 and ended on August 13. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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