‘Meaningful debate vs destructive disruption’

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‘Meaningful debate vs destructive disruption’



NEW DELHI: The Winter Session of the Rajya Sabha concluded on December 20, barely recording a productivity of 40 per cent, much of the time spent on the Opposition’s attempts to remove Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar from office, accusing him of bias. Dhankhar adjourned the House sine die but not before urging members to choose between “meaningful debate” and “destructive disruption”.He reproached the trend of publicising notices through the media before parliamentary consideration and taking recourse to Rule 267, saying they are “under institutional dignity”.Unmoved by constant disruptions on the last day of the session, he appealed to members to rise above political differences and uphold the democratic legacy. “Our democratic legacy demands we rise above political differences and restore the sanctity of parliamentary discourse.”Reflecting on the session coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, he remarked, “We conclude this session coinciding with the 75th anniversary of our Constitution; we face a moment of serious reflection. While our celebration of Samvidhan Diwas in the historic Samvidhan Sadan was meant to reaffirm democratic values, our actions in this House tell a different story. The stark reality is troubling”.The chairman told the members the impact the disruptions are having outside the House. “We are drawing severe criticism from the people of India and rightfully so. These persistent disruptions are steadily eroding public trust in our democratic institutions.”He called for the members’ introspection and accountability, stating, “The citizens of our democracy — one-sixth of humanity — deserve better than this spectacle”. “Where reasoned dialogue should prevail, we witness only chaos. I urge every Parliamentarian to examine their conscience,” he said. The Opposition had its say as well. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien remarked that the Rajya Sabha Chairman spoke for around 30 per cent of the time the House functioned.



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