Democracy cannot be about disruption, disturbance, says VP Jagdeep Dhankhar

The vice president said democracy is all about dialogue, discussion, deliberation and debate, and called disruption and disturbance antithetical to democratic values.

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday claimed that there is a "weaponisation of disturbance" in Parliament, amid the washout of the first two days of Parliament's Monsoon Session over the Opposition's demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on the situation in Manipur.

He showered praise on the Modi government, claiming that transparency and accountability were the main focus areas of the present government and that corruption, middlemen and power brokers find no place today.

He alleged stakeholders in corruption converge in a group and marshal all forces to find cover and escape. "Street demonstrations to challenge the rule of law is not a hallmark of good governance and democracy of our nature," he said.

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Addressing the Centenary Year Convocation of Jamia Millia Islamia here, Dhankhar said disagreement and dissent are a natural part of the democratic process, but turning disagreement into hostility is no less than a curse for democracy.

He said democracy is all about dialogue, discussion, deliberation and debate, and called disruption and disturbance antithetical to democratic values.

"Disturbance has been weaponised in the temples of democracy that should be functional 24X7 to ensure justice to the people at large," he said, cautioning that ‘opposition’ should not turn into ‘revenge’, and adding that dialogue and discussion are the only way forward.

Emphasising that there can be no alibi for not making Parliament functional every second, he said the people are paying a huge price for it.

"When there is disruption in parliament on a particular day, there can’t be a Question Hour. Question Hour is a mechanism to generate accountability and transparency in governance. The Government is obligated to respond to every question. This goes to the enormous benefit of the government. Not having question hour can never be rationalised when you think in terms of democratic values and good governance," he said.

He also alleged that some foreign universities have become breeding grounds to set afloat anti-India narratives on untenable grounds while claiming that such institutions also use students and faculty members for their narrow agenda.

"It is surprising that those who had the occasion to serve this country in one position or another, the moment they lose their position, they turn Nelson’s eye to the great advancement that our country is making all around. I urge young bright students to neutralise and decimate such an anti-India narrative. Such misinformation can’t be allowed to be traded freely,” he said.