The track record of the parliamentary debates in India has not been good in the past over two decades, where the disruption of parliamentary proceedings were more that the discussions on the issues concerning the common people. In the past, while the incidents of stalling the functioning of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sometimes was genuine and demanding but most of the time the parliament was held hostage to total pandemonium on flimsy and non-issues often more for the sake of opposition on pure politics.
The Parliament will have an extended four-day break this week, beginning today, even though the first three days of the second half of the budget session saw both the Houses barely transacting any official business.
The first week of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament was a washout with the Congress-led opposition determined to continue disrupting proceedings on the issue of the fuel price hike.
For the past three days, both Houses of Parliament had failed to function amidst protests from Opposition members, who demanded a debate on the frequent hike in fuel prices.
The Opposition has used issues like spiralling fuel prices and farmers’ protests over the three agricultural reform laws to disrupt the proceedings continuously.
Upset over the ruckus in the House for the third consecutive day, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday asked the members of the Opposition blocking the proceedings whether they wanted ‘discussion or disruption’.
While the Opposition is right in demanding a debate on rising fuel prices, which has hurt the common public, this is not the way to press it. As pointed out by the RS Chairman, “Opportunities are in plenty to discuss the issues. Disruptions don’t help the cause, discussions do,” he said.
People elected MPs only to represent their cause, not to create ruckus in the august House. In other words, pandemonium in Parliament in worse than a pandemic.
