Maintaining democratic traditions & cooperation Opposition’s responsibility too: Bhatt
Monday, 26 February 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Bharatiya Janata Party State president Mahendra Bhatt has appealed to the Congress to maintain democratic traditions and cooperate constructively in the Vidhan Sabha. Terming the resignation of the Congress MLAs from the business advisory committee of the Assembly unfortunate, he said that it is important for all sides to respect public interest and public opinion. He requested the opposition MLAs to participate in a healthy debate in the house.
The BJP State president said that the Vidhan Sabha budget session starting on Monday is very important as it will decide the form of the State’s development and public welfare in the coming one year. He said that the policies in this budget will help in taking Uttarakhand one step closer to becoming an ideal State. Considering this, the opposition MLAs need to rise above partisan lines and cooperate constructively for a healthy debate in the Assembly. Bhatt said that the Vidhan Sabha is the best platform for raising issues of public interest and it is for this that the public has voted the MLAs to office. The BJP hopes that the Congress MLAs will debate with an open mind on the budget and various other public interest issues in the Assembly, he said.
Terming the resignation of Congress MLAs from the Assembly’s business advisory committee unfortunate, the BJP State president requested them to reconsider their decision. “In the past too, the business of the house has been conducted on the basis of the decisions taken by the committee. However, it is unfortunate that the Congress has always played politics on this. The Congress members agree to the proposed agenda for the house in the committee’s meeting but start raising ruckus for political gain on entering the house. Resigning from the business advisory committee is an insult of democratic traditions and should be reconsidered,” the BJP State chief said.
Referring to allegations of the house being run on the basis of majority, Bhatt said that the Congress should accept that it has been rejected by the public in the elections. Everybody has the right to state one’s views inside and outside the Assembly in a democracy but decisions are taken on the basis of majority and unanimous agreement, he stressed. “It is highly unfortunate that despite repeated electoral defeats in the past 10 years, the Congress has not lost the arrogance of power. This is the reason why it is not yet able to accept the decision of the public. They will have to wait three more years to know the opinion of the public in Uttarakhand but actions like resigning from the business advisory committee and holding a symbolic Assembly session in Gairsain are making a mockery of democratic practices. Maintaining the dignity of democracy inside the outside the Assembly is the responsibility of the opposition MLAs too,” Bhatt added.
