Pained Dhankhar tells MPs to shun theatrics, boost Parliament productivity
New Delhi, Dec 20: Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday expressed pain over disruptions in Parliament that dragged the current session’s productivity down to 40 per cent and urged members to shun “theatrics” while picking meaningful debate over the destructive din.
Calling for setting high standards, he said, “The world watches our democracy, yet we fail our citizens through our conduct. These parliamentary disruptions mock public trust and expectations. Our fundamental duty to serve with diligence lies neglected.”
In his valedictory remarks, the VP said as we conclude this session, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of our Constitution, we face a moment of serious reflection. “While our celebration of Samvidhan Divas in the historic Samvidhan Sadan was meant to reaffirm democratic values, our actions in this House tell a different story,” he said.
The stark reality is troubling, this session’s productivity stands at a mere 40.03 per cent, with just 43 hours and 27 minutes of effective functioning. As parliamentarians, we are drawing severe criticism from the people of India and rightfully so, he said.
“These persistent disruptions are steadily eroding public trust in our democratic institutions while we did pass the Oilfields Amendment Bill and Boilers’ Bill of 2024, and heard the statement by the Minister of External Affairs on India-China relations. These achievements are overshadowed by our failures,” he said.
The growing trend of publicising notices through media before parliamentary consideration and recourse to Rule 267 further undermines our institutional dignity. We stand at a critical crossroads, the 1.4 billion citizens of Bharat expect better from us, he said.
He also reminded the MPs of the need to serve people with all sincerity. “It is time to choose between meaningful debate and destructive disruption. Our democratic legacy demands we rise above political differences and restore the sanctity of parliamentary discourse,” he said.
Sharing his view on the uproar and disruptions, he said where reasoned dialogue should prevail, we witness only chaos. I urge every parliamentarian, regardless of party, to examine their conscience.
“The citizens of our democracy -- one-sixth of humanity -- deserve better than this spectacle. We squander precious opportunities that could serve the greater good of our people. I hope Members will introspect deeply, and citizens exercise their accountability. These hallowed chambers deserve conduct that honors our oath, not theatrics that betray it,” he said.