'World watches our democracy, yet we fail our citizens': Dhankar on parliament disruptions

NEW DELHI: As the winter session of Parliament came to an end, marked by frequent washouts, vice president and Rajya Sabha chair Jagdeep Dhankhar delivered a stern message to parliamentarians on both sides of the aisle, urging them to provide countrymen with "meaningful debates" rather than engaging in "destructive disruption."

"The world watches our democracy, yet we fail our citizens through our conduct. These Parliamentary disruptions mock public trust and expectations. Our fundamental duty to serve with diligence lies neglected," the Rajya Sabha chairman said in his address to the House before it was adjourned sine die.

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Referring to the unabated disruptions since the session began on November 15, Dhankar said "where reasoned dialogue should prevail, we witness only chaos".

The vice president, against whom the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion, urged every parliamentarian from all parties to "examine their conscience".

"The citizens of our democracy – one-sixth of humanity – deserve better than this spectacle. We squander precious opportunities that could serve the greater good of our people. I hope Members will introspect deeply, and citizens exercise their accountability. These hallowed chambers deserve conduct that honours our oath, not theatrics that betray it," he added.

"It is time to choose between meaningful debate and destructive disruptions," he said before adjourning the House sine die.

"As Parliamentarians we are drawing severe criticism from the people of India and rightfully so. These persistent disruptions are steadily eroding public trust in our democratic institutions," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die after approving a motion to nominate 12 members to a joint parliamentary committee on simultaneous elections.

The morning session saw protests from opposition members, leading to an adjournment amid the uproar. The Chairman later held discussions with Leader of the House J P Nadda, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and leaders of various opposition parties in an attempt to resolve the deadlock.

When proceedings resumed at noon, the chairman invited law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to propose the nomination of Rajya Sabha members to the joint parliamentary committee tasked with examining bills related to the 'one nation, one election' initiative. The motion was passed through a voice vote.

In his closing remarks, the RS chairman revealed that the session’s productivity was just 40.03 percent, with only 43 hours and 27 minutes of effective work conducted.

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