New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Parliament or Assemblies are places of debate and discussions, but it is not good if the House is not allowed to function in the name of opposition for narrow political gain. Shah made the remark while addressing the All India Speakers Conference, three days after the monsoon session of Parliament came to an end with little business due to repeated disruptions and adjournments following opposition protests.

The Home Minister also said that when there is limited debate or discussions in Parliament, the contribution of the House in nation-building gets affected. "Debate must take place in a democracy. But it is not good if the House is not allowed to function in the name of opposition for someone's narrow political gain. Opposition should always be restrained.

"But in the name of opposition, if the House is not allowed to function day after day or session after session, it is not good.

The country has to ponder over it, the people have to ponder over it, and elected representatives have to ponder over it," he said.

Shah said all discussions must have some sense and everyone must work towards increasing the dignity and respect of the post of the Speaker.

"We should work to offer an impartial platform to raise the issues of the people. The arguments of both the treasury and opposition should be impartial. We must ensure that the functioning of the House is carried out as per the rules and regulations of the respective House," he said.