President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday criticised the opposition parties for the growing instances of disruptions in the Parliament, calling the body a platform where laws are made through debate and deliberations.
"In a democracy, the Parliament is the platform where laws are made through debate and deliberations. The opposition has right to criticise, oppose and expose the Government, but under no circumstances should the proceedings be disrupted," the President said, while addressing the faculty and students of Central universities and research institutes via video conferencing from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"Dissent is a recognised democratic expression. However, a noisy minority cannot be allowed to gag a patient majority. It is unfortunate that the time devoted by the members is gradually declining," he added.
Frequent disruptions by the opposition of various issues during the winter session of the Rajya Sabha led to the House being unable to pass key reform bills, including the Goods and Services Tax bill and the bill to raise FDI in insurance.
