Mallikarjun Kharge bids farewell to retiring members in Rajya Sabha, urges review of House rules

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday bid farewell to retiring members and called for a review of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the House.

He also said the House should have more sittings so that issues of public importance can be discussed with all seriousness.

Kharge also called for more participation from Opposition members in formulating legislation. Any impediment to that would weaken the institution of parliament, he said.

"It is my firm belief that a periodic review of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha is essential. This matter is currently under consideration before the General Purposes Committee (GPC), and it warrants serious deliberation," he said.

Kharge is retiring but will return to the House.

"Those involved in politics never retire from public life, nor do they ever grow tired in their passion for serving the nation," he noted.

Kharge said institutions endure, while faces of people within them keep changing.

"We extend a warm welcome to those colleagues who have been re-elected to the House. As for those who are retiring and departing from this House, I am confident that they will continue to contribute meaningfully to public life.

"The experience gained here will undoubtedly empower them to undertake even more significant roles in the future," the Leader of Opposition said soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his remarks in the House.

Noting that while fulfilling his own responsibilities, he constantly strived to listen to the viewpoints of all sides -- to learn from the constructive ideas presented and to put them into practice.

"My time in this Upper House has been filled with a mix of both pleasant and challenging experiences. It is my firm belief that significant new initiatives are required to make this House even more meaningful -- so that the Upper House may convey a more positive message to society and the nation, and provide effective guidance," he said.

Kharge said the Constitution grants every Member of Parliament the freedom to express their views fearlessly, and without debate and deliberation, parliamentary institutions hold no true significance.

"If freedom of thought is curtailed, many avenues become closed off. When good legislation is enacted, it is not merely the ruling party but also the Members of Parliament from the Opposition who play an equal role in its formulation. They play a pivotal role within parliamentary committees. I feel that any impediment to these roles would serve to weaken the parliamentary institution," the Congress MP said.

He said the number of sittings of the House should be increased, and serious deliberations should be held on issues concerning the public.

"There should be greater scope to discuss issues concerning the interests of the poor, the marginalised sections of society, farmers, and labourers. Often, when we raise these issues, the ruling party perceives it as criticism and begins to refute it without even listening; whereas, the government ought to give serious consideration to the concerns of the people," he said.

The Leader of the Opposition observed that even within the limited opportunities available, when Members of Parliament articulate significant points, those remarks are frequently expunged from the proceedings -- even though they are not unparliamentary in nature.

"The removal of specific words often distorts the very meaning and intent of the statement made," he said, as he bid farewell to several party colleagues who are retiring from the Upper House.