New Delhi, October 7: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan met floor leaders from various parties in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and discussed measures to ensure the effective functioning of the Upper House.
In his first meeting on the subject of the House, the Vice President emphasized that dialogue, discussion, and deliberation are fundamental principles of parliamentary democracy.
According to information provided by the Vice President’s Office, the Chairman urged members to make full use of available tools such as Zero Hour, Special Mentions, and Question Hour to raise issues of public importance.
He said that the Constitution of India and the Rules of Procedure of the Rajya Sabha set the Lakshman Rekha for parliamentary dialogue.
Vice President emphasized that every day, every hour, every minute, and every second in the House should be used to strengthen democracy. Radhakrishnan thanked all leaders for their insight and participation and described the interaction as a great success.
After the meeting held in Parliament House Annexe, some members spoke to reporters. They said that their first meeting with the Chairman was very positive. All parties will cooperate with him in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Rajya Sabha. They expect the Chairman to treat both the ruling and opposition parties equally.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that today was a formal introductory meeting. A good tradition has been established in which the Chairman listened to everyone and sought everyone’s views. It was agreed that the House should proceed peacefully. The opposition urged that issues of public importance be discussed and that they be given an opportunity to express their views. The Chairman assured that he would seriously consider all suggestions and make every effort to ensure the smooth functioning of the House.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said that it was a good introductory session with the Chairman. We hope that he will treat both the ruling and opposition parties equally for the smooth functioning of the House. We made it clear that we have no intention of disrupting the proceedings.