When the country has been witnessing uproar over the long absence of Rajya Sabha member and cine artist Rekha and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar from the Parliament, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to act over a petition alleging failure of the Parliament to deliver justice that ultimately results in violation of basic human rights.
The apex rights panel was moved in this regard by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy in May this year.
“The failure of the Government in enacting a law and to regulate the Parliament with discipline results in chaos and denial of the spirit of democracy. Non-tabling of reports including many reports pertaining to the under privileged, marginalised like Safai Karamcharis, SC and ST pose serious question of human rights,” Radhakanta alleged.
Adjourning the motions, sine die of Parliament brings huge loss to the exchequer and wastage of precious time. The physical attacks and infighting by the members of the Parliament and live telecast of the same not only pose questions of discipline and order but also sends wrong signals to the children who witness the same through television. Negligence of Parliament to deal with the vulnerable and sensitive issues pose serious threats to human rights, he contended.
He had urged the commission to make a comprehensive report over the functioning of the Parliament and direct the Union Parliamentary Affairs Ministry to enact a law and to make necessary amendments in the provisions related to the functioning of the Parliament.
In response, the Ministry informed the petitioner that both the Houses, lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are governed by their own rules and procedures directly by the Presiding officers of both the Houses respectively.
Though the Ministry in a letter to the petitioner dated June 5 informed that it has asked lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Secretariats to clarify the petitioner about the matter but the complainant is yet to be informed.