Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Parliament and state assemblies were places of debate and discussions “but disrupting their functioning for political gains” was not true debate. Calling it a growing trend, he said that elected representatives must rethink protest plans as they limits the nation’s development.
The comments, made at the All India Speakers’ Conference on the Delhi Assembly premises, came just three days after the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded with minimal legislative work, largely due to disruptions and repeated adjournments amid opposition protests.
“If meaningful debates do not take place in the corridors of Parliament and legislative assemblies, they will merely become lifeless buildings…preventing functioning for political interests is not a debate. Protests should be restrained. Symbolic protests have their place, but the emerging tradition of obstructing the House day after day, throughout entire sessions, under the pretext of protests, requires reflection from the public and elected representatives,” Shah said during his 35-minute speech.
The two-day Speakers’ Conference is being organised by the Delhi Assembly. It commemorates the completion of 100 years of freedom fighter Vithalbhai Patel becoming the first elected Indian President of the Central Legislative Assembly, and to honour Patel’s legacy and contributions to Indian democracy.
“When we talk about Vithalbhai Patel, we people of Gujarat proudly say that Gujarat has given two great individuals. The first brother Sardar Patel ji, who worked day and night shoulder-to-shoulder with Gandhiji in the freedom movement. And the second, Vithalbhai Patel ji, who laid the foundation of India’s legislative traditions and established the strong foundation of today’s democracy… and established many traditions that continue to guide legislative work and duties of the Speakers today,” said Shah.
Shah urged the Delhi Assembly Speaker to prepare a compilation of all the speeches given by the distinguished members in the Assembly, which functioned as the Imperial Legislative Council and Central Legislative Assembly of 1913-1926, and make it available in the libraries of all the legislative assemblies across the country.
Shah was welcomed to the assembly by lieutenant governor VK Saxena, chief minister Rekha Gupta, and Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta. Shah also inaugurated an exhibition on the life and contributions of Patel, besides releasing a commemorative stamp in the name of Patel.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who also attended the event, launched a veiled attack on the Opposition, saying that democracy will be endangered if Parliament and assemblies fail to function smoothly.
CM Rekha Gupta said, “Amit Shah has always spoken in Parliament with facts, reason, and constitutional propriety. Whether it was the decision to abrogate Article 370 or introduce new laws to bring integrity into politics, he has consistently defended democracy and served the people’s interest, thereby offering guidance to all representatives.”
Several speakers spoke on the first day of the conference, which will conclude on Monday with a speech from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
On the day, Union minister of culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted the crucial role played by nationalist leaders of the pre-independence Central Legislatures in India’s freedom movement and social reforms.
Deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh, said, “India has always believed that the king’s welfare lies in the welfare of the people…. This (Delhi) Assembly has echoed with Gandhi, Nehru, Lajpat Rai, Malaviya — carrying forward their dream is our sacred duty.”