Disruptions in legislature is cancerous: Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said that the disruptions inside the legislature is cancerous and every possible measure should be taken to curb these disruptions.

“Disruption is cancerous not only for legislature but also for democracy and society. Curbing it is not optional but an absolute necessity to save the sanctity of the legislature,” the Vice President said during the closing ceremony of the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference.

He said that debates inside the legislatures have been reduced to quarrels and this trend is extremely disturbing which needs introspection from all political shades of the country.

“Debates inside the legislatures have been reduced to quarrels. This is an extremely disturbing situation. It needs greater introspection from all stakeholders of the country,” the Vice President said.

He expressed concern over the lack of “discipline” and “decorum” in legislatures and also warned that the enormity of this decline is rendering legislatures irrelevant.

He said that our resolve should be to have zero accommodation for disturbance and disruption.

“Emergence of this ecosystem is debilitating our parliamentary democracy. Erosion of public trust in their representative bodies is the most worrisome thing which should engage the utmost attention of the political class of the country,” the Vice President said.

He said that a strong democracy thrives not just on sound principles but on leaders committed to upholding them.

“As presiding officers, we bear the responsibility to be guardians of the democratic pillars. Our duty is to ensure the legislative process is meaningful, accountable, and effective,” the Vice President said.

He said that opinions will and must differ in regard to many political and economic matters.

He said that to ensure blossoming and flowering of democracy, the legislators must believe in 4 Ds of dialogue, debate, decorum and deliberations, and keep away from 2 Ds of disturbance and disruption.