Apropos the editorial “Parliament derailed” (November 30), it cannot be denied that in a parliamentary democracy, the government of the day must either be allowed to function or voted out. The Opposition is harming the nation by stalling the business of Parliament. Its demand to make the government agree to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the 2G spectrum scam is certainly a pressure-cum-political tactic to embarrass the government. Also, it is difficult to understand how a JPC will help. It is also not practical to have a parliamentary panel to probe every corruption scam, going by the frequency of such cases.
The opposition parties are as responsible as the ruling coalition to ensure that Parliament functions. By not allowing Parliament to function, the Opposition is betraying the very people who elected it. Moreover, it costs the exchequer. In fact, the members who are responsible for not letting Parliament function should not be paid their salary and perks.
Prem K Menon, Mumbai
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