"Disruption in the Parliament a threat to democracy": Solicitor General Tushar Mehta

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The Solicitor General of India (SG) Tushar Mehta at a lecture seriese organised in the memory of Jurist and Member of Parliament (MP) Ram Jethmalani, today said that, "Disruption in the Parliament, which has often resulted in disillusionment for people from the system is a threat to the democracy."

Speaking at a lecture series organized to give a tribute to the late Jurist and MP, Jethmalani, over the question, 'Is Disruption of Parliamentary Proceedings an MP's privilege and/or a facet of parliamentary democracy?' Mehta said, "Please visualise healthy, constructive and intellectual debate, discussions on various points amongst all these parliamentarians from different strata of society being watched by the world while speaking in different languages with different accents but ultimately aiming at one common destiny, namely progress of this great nation."

Pointing out the deprivation of quality discussions that results due to disruptions, Mehta said, "We have brilliant Parliamentarians, can parliamentarians deprive the nation of their own intellectual brilliance merely by disruptions?"

"I do not think even British or American Parliamentarians can match either the intellectual brilliance and very width of our great, being man and women sitting in Parliament but their commitment and dedication to the Nation," SG Mehta added.

SG Mehta also said that the Parliamentarians are elected to sit in the Parliament like the judges are elevated to the bench. "

Therefore, he said, "A common man expects that they are supposed to be sitting there in the House of Parliament and discussing issues concerning the nation, rather than walking out purely out of non-democratic consideration."