New Delhi: In an oblique reference to Opposition leaders, a large number of whom were suspended during the Parliament’s winter session for disrupting proceedings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday that unlike earlier when senior members of the House counselled those who violated decorum, in today’s times, some political parties “support” such behaviour by their members and “defend their mistakes”.
The remarks, made by the PM days ahead of the Budget session as he addressed the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference virtually, come in the backdrop of the suspension of 146 Opposition MPs from both Houses of Parliament during the winter session last month. Opposition leaders had waved placards, shouted slogans and stormed the well of the House, demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the 13 December security breach in the new Parliament.
The 83rd All India Presiding Officers Conference is being held in Maharashtra. The two-day conference is the largest gathering of presiding officers of legislative bodies from across the country. The conference will see discussions on the working culture of legislative assemblies and steps to ensure efficacy and efficiency of legislative committees.
The Opposition has been up in arms ever since their MPs were suspended, terming it “murder of democracy”. Sonia Gandhi, chief of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), had condemned the suspensions at the 20 December CPP meeting, saying democracy had been strangled by the (Narendra Modi-led NDA) government.
The PM said that such a situation, be it in Parliament or assembly, is not good for anyone. “The conduct of members and the conducive environment inside the House directly impacts the productivity of the assembly. Concrete suggestions emanating from this conference will be instrumental in enhancing productivity,” he said.
He added that the legislators’ conduct in the House decides the image of the House.
Taking a dig at some members of the Opposition INDIA bloc, who are facing corruption charges, the PM also spoke about changing times where corrupt people convicted by court are being “publicly glorified”.
“Earlier if any member of the House was accused of corruption, everyone used to distance themselves from him. But today we see even the corrupt people, convicted by the court, being publicly glorified…This is an insult to the executive. This is an insult to the judiciary. This is also an insult to the great Constitution of India,” Modi said.
He called upon the presiding officers to hold discussion on this issue too and give concrete suggestions on this topic, to pave the way for a new road for the future.
He also urged the presiding officers to draw inspiration from the ideals of the Constituent Assembly once again. “In your respective tenures, strive to leave a legacy that can serve as a heritage for future generations,” he said.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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