Undignified behaviour in House blow to spirit of democracy: Dhankhar to RS members
New Delhi (PTI): Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said undignified behaviour during House proceedings to score a political point is a blow to the spirit of democracy.
He also lamented that members these days are not willing to listen to the views of others.
"You are free to disagree with the views of others. To ignore the other point of view is not part of parliamentary practice," Dhankhar told new Rajya Sabha members at an orientation programme.
He said some members try to find space in newspapers, give media statements immediately after leaving the House and use social media to grab eyeballs.
"Members come a minute before their speech and leave immediately. Your presence is not there that you adopt a hit-and-run strategy," he said.
Dhankhar said Parliament has been a citadel of constitutional values and liberties.
At times, there have been issues, but House leaders have shown the way using wisdom, he added.
"But the situation now is worrisome. Undignified behaviour is being used as a political weapon, which is a blow to the spirit of democracy," he told the members.
Dhankhar also referred to the period of Emergency in his speech.
"There has been only one painful, heart-rendering dark period that was when Emergency was declared.
"At that point of time, our Constitution was reduced to just a paper. It was shredded and leaders were jailed," he said.
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Centre must roll back LPG price hike, says Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the recent steep hike in LPG prices, alleging that it has severely impacted common people and small businesses.
In a statement, Vijayan described the increase as "one of the most cruel" in the history of cooking gas price revisions, saying it has pushed ordinary households and entrepreneurs into distress.
He said the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been raised by Rs 993 in one go, crossing Rs 3,000, which would adversely affect the hotel and restaurant sector.
The hike in the price of 5-kg LPG cylinders by Rs 251.50 would hit migrant workers and small families who depend on them, he added.
The chief minister alleged that the hike came immediately after the conclusion of Assembly elections in states, placing an additional burden on common people, small-scale entrepreneurs and migrant labourers.
Pointing to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Vijayan said the hospitality sector has already been facing a shortage of cooking gas for months and the latest price increase would be difficult to absorb.
The burden would ultimately be passed on to consumers, he said, warning that several small establishments, including those in Kerala, could be forced to shut down.
Accusing oil companies of prioritising profits over public welfare, he said such a trend of imposing additional financial burden on people cannot be accepted.
Vijayan also alleged that the Centre's policies favour corporate interests and called for a correction in approach.
He urged the Union government to withdraw the excessive hike without delay.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on May 1, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
