For God's sake, do your job: Prez to MPs

In a stinging attack on the Opposition over Parliamentary paralysis, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said the House is not a place for dharna and disruption which amounts to ‘gagging of majority’ by the minority.

He told Parliamentarians that they are meant to discuss and transact business and not to disrupt.

"Disruption is totally unacceptable in Parliamentary system. People send representatives to speak and not to sit on dharna and not to create any trouble on the floor," he said speaking on ‘Electoral reforms for a stronger democracy’ on the occasion of Defence Estates Day Lecture in New Delhi.

Himself a veteran Parliamentarian before he became the President, Mukherjee said, "Disruption means you are hurt, you are gagging majority. Majority never participates in this disruption. Only minority comes to the well, shouts slogans, stops the proceedings and creates a situation in which the Chair has no option but to adjourn the House. This is totally unacceptable."

Mukherjee’s sharp attack on Parliamentary disruption comes in the midst of paralysis of Parliament for over a fortnight over the issue of demonetisation.

The President noted that Parliament is in session for only a few weeks in a year.

"For demonstration, you can choose any other places. But for God's sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business. You are meant to devote your time for exercising the authority of members, particularly Lok Sabha members over money and finance," he said.

Maintaining that he is not targeting any single party or individuals, he said the responsibility is of everyone.

"Fact remains that this (disruption) has become a practice which should not be acceptable at all. Whatever be the differences, we have the opportunity, to speak our mind, to speak freely and no court can interfere in what I say on the floor of the House," he said.

Mukherjee said that even if a member is levelling an allegation against someone, no court can prosecute him because he has said so on the floor of the House.

"This type of freedom should not be misused by causing disruption," he said.

Mukherjee said that three Ds are essential in a democracy and these are debate, dissension and decision.

"But there was no fourth D. At least my teacher did not tell me that there is a fourth D which is disruption," he said.

The President pointed out that when India's budget was paltry and when outlay of Five-Year Plan was very meagre, two-thirds of time of Parliament was devoted to discussing money and finance.

He said this was because elected representatives in Lok Sabha have singular right under which no tax can be imposed without their approval and neither can any money be withdrawn from the consolidated fund without their approval.

"No amount can be spend from the consolidated fund of India without the approval of Parliament. But if these issues are not debated, when you are spending Rs 16 lakh to Rs 18 lakh crore per year, if these things are not properly scrutinised on the floor of the House, not debated, not discussed, I do not see that our parliamentary system can be very effective and can proceed successfully," he said.

Speaking about the reservation of women, he said the 2014 election showed that no party is ‘magnanimous’ when it comes to giving tickets to them.

He said some sort of reservation should be there in Lok Sabha seats and noted that Rajya Sabha had already passed the Women Reservation Bill.

He said that the government enjoys majority in the Lok Sabha and the House should also pass the Bill.

Talking about electoral reforms, he said the Election Commission has circulated an important document with recommendations for electoral reforms.

"I do feel that we should take it up very seriously and publicly debate," he said, adding after that, if necessary, amendments and corrections for certain electoral reforms which are called for can be made.

He also raised the issue of ‘simultaneous elections’ which he described as ‘very controversial subject and equally very difficult to attain within the framework of the present Constitution’.

He said many are aware that frequent elections are a costly affair which puts a strain on administrative and financial resources.

"But we are ready to pay this price for democracy but it should be not at cost of development in a developing economy like ours. Therefore, we must find a way on how we can ensure that elections are held both in federal Parliament and provincial assembly together, if possible," he said.

Photograph: PTI Photo