Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday expressed concern over the charge against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters, questioned the use of force against peaceful protesters and urged the government to allow discussions on “hot-button issues” in Parliament.
Condemning the use of force against peaceful protesters, Tharoor says that just as protests must remain non-violent, Parliament must logically prioritize discussion of pressing national issues to represent the voice of the people. Track the CJP’s July 20 rally here
“The accusation of lathi is nonviolence.”
Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, “When a non-violent protest takes place, what is the reason for a lathi charge? A lathi charge is not an act of non-violence. It is an act of violence. I don’t understand the logic of this. Likewise, here in Parliament, everyone knows that these are burning issues across the country. It would make sense to have a discussion on them. Parliament is supposed to be the place where we can voice people’s voice and concerns.” “Once we do that, we all know that the government has a majority.”
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Tharoor attributed the unrest in the House of Representatives to the government’s refusal to hold discussions, stressing that Parliament should act as a deliberative forum for discussion rather than simply being a bulletin board for passing government bills without scrutiny. Tharoor said such cooperation should be a “give and take” process, where the Opposition will help in the House proceedings if the government allows discussions on key issues.
“Refusing to discuss led to this.”
“But at the moment, just refusing to debate is what has led to the current turmoil because the opposition wanted to put these issues out there, and they wanted an opportunity to talk about them on the floor of the House. If Parliament is not interested in raising these issues, then frankly, what’s the point of it? I mean, it can’t just be some kind of bulletin board for the government to announce bills and pass them with a rubber stamp. That’s not what Parliament is about. It should be a forum where all these views can be heard and discussed.” “It was discussed as necessary and then approved.”
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He stressed the democratic principle that while the government has the majority to pass legislation, the opposition must be given a platform to voice voters’ concerns and discuss policies before they are enacted.
“As the old saying goes, the opposition should have its say because the government will have what it wants. They have the majority. But at least let Parliament be a forum where these concerns can be heard, where they can be authentically expressed, where different people can represent the views of their constituents. And then the government can disagree,” he said.
He added: “The Prime Minister has asked for cooperation from the opposition. We will cooperate if they cooperate. The idea should be that there should be mutual cooperation. Let them allow certain discussions. There should be give and take. This is the way Parliament is supposed to work.”
Meanwhile, the session in both houses was adjourned to 2 pm due to the disturbance and uproar.
