Say no to disruptions, former MP tells new Rajya Sabha members

MPs should never come near the Chairs podium with the intention of disrupting the House as such conduct reflects poorly on the image of Parliament, noted lawyer and former Rajya Sabha member Fali S. Nariman on Sunday told the new members of the upper House.

Speaking on 'Ethics in Politics: Dos and Don'ts' on the concluding day of the two-day orientation programme for the new MPs, Nariman said that MPs should always be conscious of the fact that being a Member of Parliament is one of the most important privileges to serve the people.

Outlining the importance of work ethics, he stressed that members should not get angry or lose temper when they are in the House.

Citing examples of ethics as parliamentarians like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and former Lok Sabha Spekar Somnath Chatterjee, Nariman exhorted the members to maintain high standards of public conduct.

When a member asked if the government is insensitive to the issues raised by the opposition members, what is the alternative left to the them, Nariman said under no circumstances disruption can be justified. Members have to be persuasive in their approach, he added.

The orientation programme was organised by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for the newly-elected/nominated members of Rajya Sabha.

In the session on law-making process, senior MP and noted lawyer Majeed Memon shared some practical tips with the new members regarding law-making. Explaining the qualifications of a good law, Memon said that 'a good law is that which is intelligible to all'.

"Members of Parliament have a major role to play in the law-making process. We should ensure that the people, especially the poor and deprived sections, remain the focus of law and they should benefit from it," Memon said.

MP Bhupender Yadav spoke on the procedural devices for raising matters of public importance.

He briefed the members on the effective use of various devices available under the rules and procedures such as zero-hour submissions, special mentions, calling attention and short duration discussions to hold the government accountable.

--IANS

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