Parties should have code of conduct for their lawmakers: Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said political parties should have a code of conduct for their lawmakers to uphold the dignity of legislative bodies.

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Addressing the valedictory session of the 85th All-India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Patna, Birla said, “All political parties should cooperate in upholding the dignity of the legislative bodies. This will be possible only when political parties have a code of conduct for its lawmakers.”

Birla said parliamentary debates from 1947 to the present will soon be made available in all 22 languages recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

He said the presiding officers also resolved to bring in more efficiency in the functioning of legislative bodies by using technology.

In the event, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said those in constitutional positions must set high standards of propriety. He said priority must be given to national interests in delivering duties.

“Those in constitutional positions must exemplify their conduct by high standards of propriety and dignity. They must understand that any attack on them is an assault on the Constitution and democratic setup,” Khan said.

He said Bihar was the cradle of democracy known for its “forward-thinking perspective and commitment to social justice”.

“Bihar has been the land of the world’s first democracy. The world’s first republic, Vaishali, is in Bihar. This is the land of Buddha, and it’s a known fact that Bihar played a crucial role in the making of the Constitution,” the Governor said.

He said, “Bihar played a significant role in shaping the Constitution, with notable figures like Dr Sachchidananda Sinha, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Krishna Sinha making invaluable contributions to the Constituent Assembly. Even Mahatma Gandhi began his Satyagraha movement in Bihar.”

Khan said the Constitution is the supreme legal authority that binds the legislative, executive and other wings of the government adding that the authorities must follow the Constitution in letter and spirit.