As the Parliament logjam entered into its third week, President Pranab Mukherjee asked the Opposition to not disrupt Parliament over demonetisation issue.
“For demonstration, you can choose any other places. But for God’s sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business. You are meant to devote your time for exercising the authority of members, particularly Lok Sabha members over money and finance,” Mukherjee said on Wednesday, while addressing the Defence Estates Day Lecture 2016 function in New Delhi.
He added “Disruption means you are hurt, you are gagging majority. Majority never participates in this disruption. Only minority comes to the well, shouts slogans, stops the proceedings and creates a situation in which the Chair has no option but to adjourn the House…”
Saying that he has no intention of accusing any individual, the President said that parliamentary freedom should not be misused by causing disruptions. “I have no intention of accusing any individual but it (disrupting Parliament) has become a practice,” President Mukherjee said.
President Mukherjee also spoke about the Women’s Reservation Bill that has been pending before the Parliament for a long time.
“Women reservation bill is pending for a long time in Parliament and representation of women is abysmally low. It is totally unacceptable,” he added. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and MoS Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre were also present at the event.
Opposition party MPs have been demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing Opposition parties of supporting black money.
Earlier, they have been demanding PM Modi to intervene in the House debate on demonetisation.
They are also demanding that the debate on the currency recall must be conducted under a rule that entails voting. With the treasury benches in no mood to give space to the Opposition, there were signs of thaw between the two groups.
The Opposition appears to be willing to allow the House to function and meet the ruling party half-way. Some key legislations related to the Goods and Services Tax are still pending before the House after it has been ratified by more than 20 states.
