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Saddened by repeated disruptions of Parliament: Prez

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Press Trust of India Shimla
President Pranab Mukherjee today said he was saddened by repeated disruptions and adjournments of Parliament and state assemblies and asked the political establishment to find a solution to it.

"I am sad and anxious when I find that Parliamentary proceedings and state assembly proceedings are disrupted without transacting businesses," he said here.

Addressing the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, he said that nowadays "we find surreptitiously a new 'D' inserted along with debate, dissent and decision and the 'D' is disruption".

Repeated disruptions, Mukherjee said, were also hampering proper debate and discussion on finance bills crucial for the country.
 

He observed that frequent disruptions and adjournments were hampering legislative business and coming in the way of a thorough debate and all crucial legislative matters including the finance bill.

"I find in political science no role of disruption in Parliamentary democracy," he added. He chided the minority few who were doing this to impose their own will.

He said that only 30 to 35 per cent of Parliament time is devoted to issues of money and finance at a time when revenue expenditure has increased manifold and complexities have come.

Noting that MPs and MLAs do not have time to scrutinise the expenditure, discuss the demands for grants and in detail the finance bill, Mukherjee asked, "Who else will do (it)?"

"People have elected us to discharge our duties and responsibilities. If I do not discharge the responsibilities, it does not speak well," he added.

He asked leaders and the political establishment "to ponder over the disruptions and find a solution".

Mukherjee, who is on a three-day visit to the state, hoped that "we will be able to find a solution".

He said that he had great belief, faith and ingenuity in Indian political system and that there will be aberrations which will be rectified in no time.

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First Published: May 24 2013 | 7:11 PM IST

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