Sumitra expresses displeasure over Parliament disruptions

Expressing displeasure on the frequent disruptions in Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday observed that all the acrimonious and unruly behaviour of the Parliamentarians are closely watched by voters and they would articulate their preferences during elections.

Disapproving of the creation of chaos, she said that the primary function of Parliament is to discuss, debate and decide issues concerning the people at large and there are several rules to conduct of the business of the House in a meaningful manner. She also said that apart from individual MPs, the responsibility of smooth functioning of basically lies with the leaders of the political parties.

The Lok Sabha Speaker was interacting with more than 160 students and alumni from premier institutes like IITs, NLUs, Yale, LSE, Manchester under a programme organised by the Vision India Foundation in New Delhi, said that hard work, credibility and purity of purpose are necessary for success and endurance in political life. She said that Speaker’s Research Initiative (SRI) is organising workshops on different issues, where important information is conveyed to Parliamentarians to enable them to perform skillfully and in a better way.

Sharing her experiences as a politician and about her constituency at Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Mahajan said that her priority is to ensure better connectivity, economic growth and inclusive development in Indore.  She referred to several projects that have been started over the years to ensure the development of the different segments of the constituency, including Rail, Air, and Road connectivity. She particularly referred to her efforts in mainstreaming the rural areas of Indore.

She underlined that unruly behaviour is closely watched by the  people who articulate their electoral preferences on the basis of the performance of their representatives.  She further said that the uproar in the House is not solely due to behavior of the individual Members. As the Leaders of parties owe a greater responsibility for articulating the stand of their parties on certain issues, she sought their cooperation so that the debates and discussions on crucial issues take places in a responsible and peaceful manner.