KOLKATA: Ahead of the Budget session of Parliament beginning from February 23, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today appealed to all political parties to cooperate in the effective functioning of the House.
"I appeal to all political parties to please cooperate for the effective functioning of Parliament. Parliament needs to discuss, debate and decide.
That should be the spirit of all," he told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
He said that if his Opposition friends had any objection, they would get ample time to discuss it.
"I am ready to walk an extra mile also to accommodate the Opposition because in democracy both ruling and opposition parties have a responsibility to see that Parliament functioned effectively, people's issues were raised, discussed, debated and decided," the minister said.
Hoping for a meaningful and constructive Parliament session, he said, "There are many important pieces of legislation that are pending, some of them are stuck in the Rajya Sabha. The government intends to take Parliament into confidence in the Budget session".
"I propose, you want, you oppose and let the House dispose. That should be the policy," Naidu said. Asked about the Opposition's objection to ordinances, he said they were not bringing it out for political motives but for the welfare of the people.
"Ordinance is an extraordinary thing; we have no fancy for ordinances. We want Parliament to function effectively, we want issues to be discussed," he said.
Naidu said that all parties when in power were taking the ordinance route, adding "ordinance is good when you are in power, bad when in opposition.
This is the double standard, people of this country are wise enough to understand. Ordinance is a constitutional provision."