Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said the primary role of Parliament is to preserve the Constitution and there is no stronger guardian of democracy than Members of Parliament.
Inaugurating an orientation programme for newly-elected members of the Rajya Sabha, he said “If there is any crisis in democracy, if democratic values are attacked, your role is decisive.” There is no guardian of democracy more serious than the Member himself, he said.
Mr Dhankhar said there is no topic off limits for discussion in Parliament, provided proper procedure is followed. Any topic, any person, any individual including the conduct of the chair can be discussed if proper procedure as laid down in rules of procedure of the House is followed, he said.
Other than the period of the 1975 Emergency, when fundamental rights were crushed in a dictatorial manner, and people were put in jail, the Indian democracy has had good times, he said.
“We can take complete pride that Members of our Parliament right from the beginning have conducted themselves and acted in support of the people. Every time in every period, they have contributed to the growth of this Nation. There has been only one painful, heart wrenching dark period and that was when Emergency was declared,” the Vice President said.
Stressing on the autonomy and authority of Parliament, he said that “Parliament is supreme for its procedure, for its proceedings. Any proceeding in the House, in Parliament is beyond review, either of the executive or any other authority.”
“Whatever happens inside Parliament, no one has authority to interfere except the Chair. It cannot be of the executive or of any other institution,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman expressed extreme concern over the hit and run strategy adopted by members in Parliament where a member gives a media bite before speaking in Parliament, comes to Parliament speaks only to capture attention and media space and then leaves the House without listening to other members and again goes outside and gives bite to the media.
He said there is a growing tendency among members to make personal attacks instead of engaging on issues and there is practice of shouting and sloganeering just to please some individuals. “There can be no greater divisive activity than this,” he said.
Lamenting over the current state of the Parliamentary System in the country, he said there are moments when national issues and interests should take precedence over political considerations. He said that the situation today is concerning and disruption, disturbance in parliament is being used as a political tool.
Noting that for the first time in six decades, a Prime Minister has served a third consecutive term, he said the Prime Minister’s role as the leader of the House, representing the entire nation is beyond party lines. Expressing concern over recent disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President criticised the lack of respect shown during the motion of thanks reply to the Prime Minister.
The Vice President firmly rejected any accusations of bias, reaffirming his unwavering commitment to the Constitution, rule of law, and national interests. He called upon all members to reflect on these fundamental principles and to maintain the dignity of parliamentary proceedings.
Reiterating his commitment to guiding parliamentary conduct, Mr Dhankhar encouraged members to thoroughly review the rulings of the Chair, including those of his predecessors, to better understand parliamentary protocols.
Discouraging the practice of attempting to ask supplementaries on every question, he stressed the need for members to thoroughly review ministers’ replies and ask relevant supplementary questions. He emphasised his commitment to ensuring gender and party balance when selecting questions, and urged senior leaders to actively participate to set an example.