PANAJI
Less than 24 hours after the chaos witnessed in the Maharashtra state assembly where Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was forced to cut short his address, Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu used the inauguration of a new durbar hall at the Raj Bhavan in Goa to make a point for legislative decorum across the country.
Speaking at a function held at the Raj Bhavan, Naidu also lamented the duress caused around the globe to due expansionist zeal, while not directly referring to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“We see certain incidents happening in parliament -- both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, so-called upper house -- certain happenings in legislatures and certain incidents that are happening during the Governor’s address and also the violent turn that is taking place in certain places during certain agitations,” Naidu said at the durbar hall inauguration function.
“This should be totally avoided because it will weaken democracy. People will get disillusioned if such things happen. Governor is a constitutional authority, a legislature is an elected body. Parliament is a supreme place where laws are being made,” Naidu also said.
“In democracy, if you don’t like any address you can criticise after the address is over. If you don’t like a budget you can criticise the budget fully in whatever manner in a democratic system. Then if you don’t want a government, you have to be patient, you can educate and agitate peacefully and wait for your turn. You must have the patience to respect the mandate of the people,” Naidu added.
“...let the govt propose, let the opposition oppose and let the house dispose. That is the only way. There is no other way. Either you talk out or you walk out but don’t allow ‘break out’ of the institutions. This is my advice on this occasion to all the people. See to it that we maintain standards, follow ethics and do justice to our duty and thereby do justice to the people of the country,” the Vice President said.
The Vice President also said that despite being blessed with resources, India had not attacked another country in its long and vast history.
“India was called as a ‘vishwaguru’ once upon a time with all its resources, but we never attacked any country because we don’t believe in colonialism and expansionism. We believe in sarvejana sukhado bhavantu... vasudaiva kuttumbakam. Share and care is the core of philosophy. Everyone should remember this and this should be practised,” he said.
“We are seeing what is happening around the globe, these expansionist ideas and the tensions created thereby and the misery that is happening to the people of that region... We should all really commit ourselves to universal peace. Because peace is the prerequisite for progress. If you have tension you cannot pay attention,” the Vice President added.
