Disruption in House unacceptable: Prez

New Delhi, December 8

Expressing strong displeasure over the continued logjam in Parliament, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said "disruption in Parliament is totally unacceptable".

Delivering the Defence Estate Day Lecture 2016 here on 'Reforms for a stronger democracy', the President said people sent their representatives to Parliament to work for the country and not to agitate. He expressed concern that disruption of parliamentary work had become a practice.

“Do your job,” he told the MPs. “Dharnas can be organised anywhere else,” he said, asking all concerned to debate and discuss issues of public importance in the House.

He said he was not criticising any particular party but all concerned must work together to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament. He said only a minority disrupted parliamentary proceedings by entering the well of the House and raising slogans, when the majority was ready for a debate.

The President also favoured simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, and said India needed electoral reforms. "I am convinced that the country needs electoral reforms. We should (first) have a public debate and thereafter make the reforms," he said. — IANS