NEW DELHI: As the Monsoon Session of Parliament is expected to commence on a stormy note over several contentious issues, Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday expressed hope for meaningful and serious deliberations in the Upper House.
“I appeal to everyone in the political spectrum, please maintain mutual respect. Please refrain from using unbecoming language, whether on television or otherwise, against the leadership of any party,” he said, urging politicians to avoid personal attacks.
Calling upon political leaders to eschew confrontation, Dhankhar added, “Every Indian political party and every parliamentarian, to my knowledge, is a nationalist at the end of the day. They believe in the nation and in its progress. Democracy is never such that the same party will always remain in power.”
Stressing the importance of constructive discussions in the upcoming session, he said, “We must be resilient. We must believe in our point of view, but also respect the other’s. If we think, ‘I am the only one who is right, and everyone else is wrong,’ that is not democracy. That is not our culture, that is ego, that is arrogance. We must control our ego and arrogance and strive to understand why someone holds a different view.”
Addressing a group of Rajya Sabha interns, the Vice-President referred to acrimonious television debates and said, “Our ears are fed up. We can have differences of opinion, we can have disagreements, but how can we have bitterness in our hearts?”
Reiterating the need to lower the political temperature and reduce acrimony, he said, “Politics is not confrontation. Politics can never be unidirectional. There will be different political thought processes, but politics means achieving the same objective, albeit through different approaches.”
He also asserted that no political party is against the idea of Bharat. “They may think differently, but they must learn to engage in discussion and dialogue. Confrontation is not the way forward,” he said.
Dhankhar further urged, “Let us not politicise matters of national interest. Let us not indulge in politics over development, or issues concerning national security and national concern. India must stand proud among the comity of nations.”
Recalling India’s long-standing political traditions, he said, “What has India historically been known for? Discourse, dialogue, debate, deliberation. These days, we do not witness these in Parliament. I believe the upcoming session will be significant. I am hopeful that it will witness meaningful discussions and serious deliberations that will take Bharat to greater heights.”
“I appeal to political parties to engage in constructive politics. And when I say this, I appeal to all parties, those on the treasury benches, the ruling party, and the opposition,” he added.