'New tradition' of allegations, counter-allegations in Parliament: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said a "new tradition" of levelling allegations and counter-allegations being observed in Parliament and state Assemblies these days is not proper for the country's constitutional democracy, and stressed the need for constructive debate and discussion in Houses to make democracy "lively and active".

Inaugurating a two-day orientation programme for elected members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly here, he also said that while criticism is a "shuddhi yagna" (purification ritual) in democracy, disrupting the Houses "in a planned manner" and causing disruption in speeches of governors are "not a good tradition".

"Wherever required, one should criticise the government's policies, provide constructive suggestions. In democracy, criticism is a 'shuddhi yagna'. But the new tradition of aarop-pratyarop (allegations and counter-allegations) rather than criticism seen these days in these institutions is not proper for the constitutional democracy of the country," he said in his address.

Criticism is proper for a democracy, but there should be an effort in Parliament and assemblies that instead of indulging in accusations and counter-accusations, we should try to hold constructive debate and discussion, he urged.

Discussions, debates and active participation in making laws are required to make democracy lively and active, the Lok Sabha speaker noted.

"The way the houses are being used for hurling accusations is not proper for our constitutional democratic tradition. So we should try to make it a centre of discussion and debates. Together with that, when we make a law, we should take input from different people, take suggestions from people and experts," he said.

A new system is being seen these days - that of disrupting the houses in a planned manner, which has come up in the meetings of assembly speakers. Causing disruption in speeches of governors is not a good tradition of constitutional democracy, he said.

"When a governor or president delivers a speech, then he or she is constitutionally superior. Therefore, whichever party is in power, we should follow the great tradition," he said.

He said one does not become a leader by raising slogans, shouting and causing disruptions, but rather through discussions, debates, and dialogues.

Work is being done to frame model bylaws by March, which will be sent to assemblies for discussion to see what can be adopted in an effort to bring about uniformity in the proceedings of the houses, Birla said.

He said that laws framed in the Gujarat Assembly have caused great industrial and social developments of the state, and newly-elected MLAs should study past debates and discussions and gain knowledge from them.

"People have great expectations from you, and it is natural given that you are growing as a developed state... The best legislature is the one that conducts debate and discussions, gains knowledge about the law, and offers suggestions to the government when a law is framed," he said. He urged the speakers of all assemblies to conduct debates and discussions so that the country's democracy becomes lively.

Birla also talked about 'One Nation-One Legislative Platform' aimed at bringing all the proceedings of all legislatures - both houses of Parliament and assemblies - on one platform.

These constitutional institutions should work in a better way and members should also use them in a better manner to fulfil people's expectations with transparency and responsibility, he added.

The two-day orientation programme aims at capacity building of newly-elected members, informing them about rules and regulations through ten different sessions spread over two days.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel urged the elected members to work towards improving the environment of the assembly as he noted that they have a duty towards the "temple of democracy".

"Laws passed in the Vidhan Sabha are integral to the development of the state," he said.

When asked about the notice to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Birla said this issue was conducted under parliamentary rules and procedures."

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has asked Gandhi to respond by February 15 to notices given by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members regarding his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House.

In a letter to Gandhi, dated February 10, the secretariat has asked him to furnish his reply on breach of privilege notices against him by BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Pralhad Joshi - also the parliamentary affairs minister - by February 15 for the Lok Sabha speaker's consideration.

Following Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha on the 'Motion of Thanks on the President's Address' on Tuesday, in which he commented on the Hindenburg-Adani issue, Dubey and Joshi had moved the notices against him.