Legislatures becoming irrelevant, need to enforce discipline: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar lamented on Sunday that legislatures are increasingly becoming irrelevant due to the lack of discipline and decorum among the members. The frequent fights in the House have led to erosion of public trust in the lawmakers, he added.

In his address to the concluding session of the 85th conference of presiding officers, the VP said,

"High time for Presiding Officers to invoke their authority to enforce discipline and decorum as lack of these is virtually shaking the very foundations of Legislatures! We have to nurture these institution, we have to ensure optimal performance of these Institutions.


Therefore we should not hesitate to deal with indiscipline and indecorous conduct.If the child in the family is not adhering to the decorum, discipline, he has to be disciplined !

Our resolve should be to have zero accommodation for disturbance and disruption," he added.

"Discipline and decorum in legislatures has been a deep concern of the people. Yet it is unfortunate that incidences of indiscipline and unbecoming demeanour in our legislatures are on the rise. The enormity of this decline is rendering legislatures irrelevant. This is an extremely disturbing situation and calls for greater introspection amongst all stakeholders."

Stressing on the urgency to control the situation, the Vice President said, "Disruption in legislatures is cancerous not only for legislatures but also for democracy and society. Curbing it is not optional but an absolute necessity to save the sanctity of legislatures."

Dhankhar gave suggestions to the presiding officers and lawmakers on ways to improve the image and functioning of Parliament and legislatures. "To ensure the blossoming and flowering of democracy, I call upon the legislators and parliamentarians to believe in 4Ds. These 4Ds are- dialogue, debate, decorum and deliberations. And keep away to maintain distance from 2Ds - Disturbance and Disruption," he said.