BENGALURU: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed concern over elected representatives not participating in debates and bills being passed amidst din. Addressing a joint session of the Karnataka Assembly on ‘Democracy: Safeguarding Parliamentary Values’, Birla said it is the duty and responsibility of lawmakers to participate in debates. The behaviour of elected representatives should be such that they uphold the values of the House, and outside, they should be role models for the people, he said.
“We need to uphold democratic values and give pro-people governance. The stature of Parliament and legislature value will increase if elected representatives enact laws which are in tune with the aspirations of the people. For this, lawmakers should discuss and debate so that there are no loopholes and the laws are strong. On the contrary, legislators and other elected representatives do not take part in discussions, which is a worrying trend,” he noted.
Advising lawmakers not to waste the time of the House, he said they need to inculcate discipline and patience. A series of meetings were held in 1992, 1997 and 2001 in this regard, where the Speakers, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, Parliamentary Affairs Ministers and Opposition leaders had passed resolutions. The time has come again to think about it, he felt. The Lok Sabha Speaker, however, stressed that it does not mean there should be no room for opposition, debates or disagreements, which are part of a democracy. At the same time, members should not create ruckus in the House, making it difficult to conduct the proceedings, he said.
Demand to speak in Kannada
When Om Birla started his address, JDS MLA Annadani got up from his seat holding a Kannada flag and demanded that the former address the legislature in Kannada. In Karnataka, no other language can be spoken inside the House while occupying the Assembly Speaker’s chair, he insisted.