Don't lower India's standing in the democratic world stage: Venkaiah Naidu on tearing of Pegasus statement

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday asked MPs not to lower the country's standing on the democratic world stage as he described the action of an MP snatching papers from a Minister and tearing it in the House as hitting a "new low".

His remarks came a day after Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen snatched the statement on the Pegasus issue from Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tore it in the House on Thursday afternoon.

"I am deeply distressed by the course of events in the House. I expect many of you to be equally anguished. If so, we shall find a way out of the present state of affairs. We are anguished and so are the people. Let the Parliament function smoothly and bring shine into the lives of the people," he said.

Naidu said he was "unable to understand" why Rajya Sabha was not being allowed to function and it was "even more difficult to understand" why the people of our country are being "denied their due from the highest legislature of our country in their hour of stress".

"The moot question is who would benefit from a dysfunctional Parliament. Certainly, not the country and its people. I am not sure if those who are behind the disruptions would benefit from crippling the Parliament," Naidu said.

He said the leaders had expressed a keen desire for a productive session prior to the Monsoon Session but the course of events over the last few days brought out the "gap between the noble intentions and real actions" and it is "despairing". He said the only business that could be transacted so far was a four-hour discussion on Covid-19 issues and the hour-long reply of the Health Minister.

Referring to Sen's issue, Naidu said it was decided that in the meeting of Rajya Sabha's Business Advisory Committee that MPs will be allowed to seek clarification from the Minister after he made a statement on Pegasus.

"But unfortunately, the proceedings of the House hit a new low with the papers being snatched from the Minister and torn into pieces and thrown into the air. Such actions are a clear assault on our parliamentary democracy. They do not cover the world’s largest democracy with glory. Should the members of Parliament be a party to degrading the country’s standing on the world stage?" he said.

The Chairman said the turn of events in the House brings to the question of what drives the disruptions in the Parliament.

"Is it only political grandstanding? I have stressed on the eve of the session that the Parliament is much more than a political institution given it’s Constitutional mandate. But there seems to be scant respect for the Constitution and the sanctity of Parliament. It is very unfortunate," he said.

Appealing to all sections of the House to enable smooth functioning by rising above the narrow political considerations, he said disruptions only halt the march of our nation besides letting the people down.

"In three weeks from now, we will be entering the 75th year of our hard-fought Independence. The spirit of it’s celebration should not be marred by a dysfunctional parliament. Our freedom struggle was all for self-governance with our people as the masters. But what is being witnessed in the Parliament is to the contrary. This does not resonate with the moment of 75 years of our freedom from colonial rule," he added.

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