NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said India’s parliamentary democracy was the best in the world and people should not be dejected by disruptions in House proceedings.
Addressing the annual session of the PHDCCI, Rijiju said he welcomed the ruckus created by the opposition parties in Parliament on “worthy issues” as it was a sign of thriving democracy.
“I welcome the ‘hungama’ (ruckus) created by the opposition parties in Parliament if the issue is worthy of being raised in Parliament,” he said, adding that adjournment of House proceedings was also a sign of giving space to the Opposition.
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Rijiju said Parliament is a platform where people from different ideologies gather to represent the voice of the people.
“They present their views in Parliament and the ideologies they represent. So many diverse people from different backgrounds come on the parliamentary platform, there is bound to be some kind of ruckus,” the minister said.
Rijiju said despite the disruptions, Parliament passed crucial legislation, such as the one to regulate online gaming, during the Monsoon session.
“But when opposition parties protest, we respect that and give them space. Parliament gets adjourned in such cases,” he said.
Rijiju urged people not to get dejected by disruptions in Parliament or reports suggesting that Parliament does not function.
“Never get dejected by the systems we have. You may be disappointed by the outcome, but this is the best system available anywhere in the world,” he said.
Taking a dig at the Opposition, he said the people who claimed that the government was suppressing freedom of expression were the most vocal on a range of issues.
“A person who speaks throughout the day complains that there is no freedom of expression. It is a democratic country and there is freedom of expression.
“I can’t stop any person from speaking his mind. That is the beauty of democracy. There will be protests, hungama,” Rijiju said.
In an apparent swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the senior BJP leader said some people have the habit of carrying small copies of the Constitution with them and appealed to them to read the book.
“You may have heard about this — ‘save the Constitution’. Some people also carry small books of the Constitution with them. My appeal to them is to read the Constitution,” he said.
The minister said the kind of protests witnessed in some parts of the world cannot take place in India.
“You keep on hearing about disruptions around the world; these things cannot happen in India. The Indian Constitution is so intelligently created that all the challenges of the foreseeable future have been addressed in the Constitution,” he said.
“Our Constitution is the best in the world, we are working as per the spirit of the Constitution… Those who do not believe in the Constitution go around claiming to save the Constitution,” Rijiju said. (PTI)
