Debates have reduced to quarrels: Vice President Dhankhar

     Mumbai, January 28, 2024: Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar today expressed deep concern over the lack of discipline and decorum in legislatures warning that “the enormity of this decline is rendering legislatures irrelevant.”

     Addressing the closing ceremony of the 84th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Mumbai Dhankhar noted that the debates have been reduced to quarrels, which is an extremely disturbing situation that calls for greater introspection amongst all stakeholders.

     Observing that emergence of this ecosystem is debilitating our parliamentary democracy, Dhankhar cautioned that the 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 called it high time for Presiding Officers to invoke their authority to enforce discipline and decorum as lack of these is virtually shaking the very foundations of Legislatures.

     “Disruption in legislatures is cancerous not only for legislatures but also for democracy and society. Curbing it is not optional but absolute necessity to save sanctity of legislature,” he added.

     Drawing analogy with the family system, Dhankhar said, “If the child in the family is not adhering to the decorum, discipline, he has to be disciplined even to the pain of the person who is disciplining,” adding that our resolve should be to have zero accommodation for disturbance and disruption.

     Stating that a strong democracy thrives not just on sound principles but on leaders committed to upholding them, he said that 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, effective and transparent, giving voice to the people.”

     To ensure blossoming and flowering of democracy, Dhankhar called upon the legislators to believe in 4 Ds of Dialogue, Debate, Decorum and Deliberations, and keep away from 2 Ds of Disturbance and Disruption.

     On this occasion, the Vice-President congratulated all participants for having adopted 5 resolutions that will lay firm foundation of Bharat@2047.

     These resolutions relate to – effective functioning of legislative bodies, capacity building of Panchayati Raj Institution, adoption and promotion of emerging technologies, enforcing accountability of the executive and the resolution to create ‘One Nation One Legislative Platform’.

     Mentioning that disruptive technology like artificial intelligence, machine learning have entered our lives, VP called upon legislators to provide for mechanism of regulating them.

     Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly Rahul Narwekar,

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, Deputy Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Dr. Neelam Gorhe and presiding officers from across the country attended the event.