Public Representatives should introspect their behavior or people will teach them in election: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed his concern over unparliamentary behaviour and the use of undesirable words in political discourse.

During his address to the 19th Annual Zone III Conference of CPA India Region at Gangtok, he said that Parliament and Legislative Assemblies are the centre of democracy and everyone should respect the decorum of the house. Abusive language and breach of dignity erode peoples' faith in democratic institutions.

Birla stressed that probity is an essential ingredient of public life as it has a deep impact on public opinion. Politicians should be restrained and dignified in their behaviour inside and outside the House. The entire country looks up to the public representatives, what they say, what they do becomes an example, which is a huge responsibility on the people's representatives.

He further said that the conduct, behaviour and words of public representatives inside and outside the House should be such that it sends a positive message and establishes ideals in society and this applies to every democratic institution in the nation. The responsibility of local bodies and panchayats is the same as that of the state and national-level legislative bodies.

Birla warned that the public observes everything and take decisions according to that. So, it is time to introspect and change behaviour according to the Constitution.

Appreciating the active role of CPA India Region Zone III in organizing regular discussions among legislative bodies, He said that the Northeast region, brimming with immense possibilities, is finding solutions to the challenges facing the region through extensive discussion and dialogue and is playing a leading role in the nation's journey of development.

On this occasion, the Governor of Sikkim, Lakshman Prasad Acharya said that in order to make Parliament and Legislature more accessible to citizens, people's representatives need to inculcate the core value of love and compassion towards the citizens first.

"This value enables us to understand others better and the more we understand others, the more we will be able to alleviate their suffering," he added.

While Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha Harivansh said that presiding officers have an immense responsibility on their shoulders for upholding the democratic ideals of legislative institutions.

"For legislators, their first and foremost duty is to protect public trust in democratic institutions and to ensure that their work and processes are inclusive and accessible to the citizens," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang said three important issues viz. making Parliament and Assembly more accessible to the Public. He suggested that there should be regular debates and discussions on this problem as these problems are not limited.

The 19th Annual Zone III Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region concluded in Gangtok, Sikkim.

The Conference, from February 23-24, deliberated on many issues ranging from making parliament and assembly more accessible to the public.

( With inputs from ANI )