The Vice President & Chairman Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the 83rd All India Conference of Presiding Officers’ in Jaipur . In his inaugural address, he described India as the ‘Mother of Democracy’ and stressed that the essence of democracy lies in the prevalence of the mandate of the people and securing their welfare.
Underscoring that dialogue, discussion and debates are key for the effective functioning of the Parliament and Legislatures, Shri Dhankhar asked the elected representatives to take inspiration from our Constituent Assembly, which did not have a single instance of disruption or disturbance during its 11 Sessions spread over almost 3 years. He called for the evolution of the ecosystem where these temples of democracy become centres of excellence for decorum and sublime parliamentary decorum and practices.
Expressing concerns over the increasing instances of disruptions in Parliament and Legislatures, Shri Dhankhar urged the representatives to be conscious of the expectations and aspirations of the people. The Vice President hoped that the conference would deliberate upon ways to urgently address these issues.
Emphasizing the need for harmonious relations between all organs of the State as envisaged in our constitution, the Vice President said that democracy sustains and blossoms when the Legislature, Judiciary and Executive act in tandem and togetherness to realize the aspirations of the people. Stating that in a democratic society, ‘the basic’ of any ‘basic structure’ is the prevalence of supremacy of the mandate of people. He further highlighted that the legislative sovereignty of Parliament is inviolable and will writ large as provided by our constitution.
Underscoring the historic importance of India’s assumption of the leadership of G-20, Shri Dhankhar urged the presiding officers to focus on their positive role during this historic moment. Further, he said that we have given New Mantra for sustainable development and inclusive prosperity of the world, “One Earth, One Family, One Future” in line with our civilizational ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. Need of the hour is to work together towards realizing India’s rightful position in global community, he emphasized.
Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om Birla, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Dr Harivansh, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot, Speaker, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Dr CP Joshi and presiding officers of state legislatures were present.