Delhi Assembly Speaker slams Opposition boycott, calls it an insult to parliamentary dignity

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Monday strongly condemned the protest carried out outside the House by members of the Opposition, including the Leader of the Opposition.

Gupta said that boycotting the House and failing to participate in its proceedings is completely against the dignity of the House and parliamentary decorum.

Advertisement

“In a democratic system, the House is the very place where discussion and dialogue should take place; however, the Opposition’s decision to distance itself from the Budget Session is deeply unfortunate,” Gupta said in his statement in the House.

“Particularly at this time, when the Delhi Budget is being presented, the participation and presence of the Opposition are of utmost importance. Protesting outside instead of engaging in discussion is contrary to established parliamentary traditions,” the Speaker noted.

He also said that it is deeply regrettable that ever since the serious issue of the desecration of the Sikh Gurus was raised in the last session, the Leader of the Opposition has not attended the House and continues to remain absent.

Failing to participate in the proceedings of the House and obstructing the democratic process in this manner is akin to hijacking constitutional institutions, Gupta added.

He further said that during the Budget Session, the presence of the Opposition is essential and extremely vital, adding that acting with insolence against parliamentary traditions and repeatedly showing contempt for the Chair is highly condemnable.