India’s former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday made a strong pitch for revisiting the present Anti Defection Law especially amid rising defections in the legislatures. ‘’If any legislator wants to leave his or her party they should resign.There is a need to revisit the anti defection law,’’ he said in his speech at the Tale of the Tall session at the maiden National Legislators’ Conference here.
‘’If Democracy needs to succeed, the leaders of caliber, character, capacity and conduct should be elected or selected. However, some of our intellectual politicians have replaced these four Cs: cash, criminality, community and caste which is a matter of concern,’’ noted Naidu. ‘’Legislators should adhere to discipline in the house,dedication and devotion so that Democracy will succeed. If you will not allow the house to function and disrupt then Democracy will not succeed. Legislators should debate, discuss and decide but not disrupt. Disruption of proceedings should not be a regular feature.’’
“Let the government propose, opposition oppose but ultimately let the house dispose,” said Naidu.
He expressed concern over the rising instances of unruly behaviour in the legislatures and parliament and emphasised the need to avoid them to maintain the vibrancy of the Democracy. ‘’Parties have the responsibility that they should sit together as they are rivals but not enemies. They should respect each other. The legislators may disagree, oppose, counter effectively but not physically. We can compete with different ideologies but language should be dignified,’’ he opined. ‘’We should work hard to make India strong, powerful, and stable. Parties and members should adhere to rules, laws and system,’’ he added.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also expressed concern over defections as the governments are toppled. He admitted that Indian Democracy is strong but unity and diversity should be protected.
Gehlot, who virtually addressed the gathering, suggested that the Centre needs to enact Right to Health and Right to Social Security.
Maharashtra’s former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan made a strong case for enactment of new anti defection law to curb rampant defection. He also called upon the legislators to strengthen the future of democracy. ‘’Idea of India should be preserved, the idea of liberal and secular democracy be strengthened,’’ he said.
Communist Party of India leader Brinda Karat expressed anguish over the lynching cases saying that it was not of a community but a symbolic lynching of the Constitution of India. Further, she claimed that the corporate money is polluting the elections and it should be curbed. ‘’I am speaking about the Constitution and the principles laid down in it. Secularism, democracy, social justice and economic justice should be preserved and protected,’’ she said.
