question hour: Question Hour heart of Parliamentary work, maintain decorum: Jagdeep Dhankhar in Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said the Question Hour is the “heart” of Parliamentary work as it seeks accountability and transparency from the government and is helpful for people at large. Making these remarks during Question Hour as members of the opposition kept raising uproar, he urged the members to maintain decorum and allow the House to function.

The opposition has been demanding answers from the government on the Manipur situation and a statement from the prime minister and a discussion on the situation in the north eastern state.

“Question Hour is the heart of Parliamentary working. Question Hour generates accountability and transparency. It permits every member of the House to seek answers from the government. The Question Hour is helpful to the people at large. It is important for the government also because the government gathers input and response.

“I would urge the members to maintain order in the House. It will not be easy…,” the chairman said as members continued to raise slogans and create din in the House.

“Members, we will have to have zero tolerance for lack of decorum and lack of discipline. Decorum and discipline have to be our hallmark,” Dhankhar also said.

Soon after the House met for Question Hour at noon, opposition members raised slogans of “Manipur, Manipur” as the chairman asked the members to begin the Question Hour. They also raised their demands for a statement from the prime minister on Manipur, after coming to the House and raised slogans like “Pradhan mantri jawab do”. Opposition members kept raising uproar and were on their feet, even as the chairman continued with the Question Hour despite the din created by the opposition.

While ruling party members raised their questions, the opposition MPs did not ask questions amid the din.