Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday rued repeated disruptions in Parliament stalling pro-poor legislations, including the GST, and asserted that democracy cannot function on the “whims and fancies” of anyone, indirectly pointing to the Congress which is protesting against the Centre following summons by a trial court in the National Herald case.
“You must have seen that these days we are witnessing more and more of these (disruptions). Meri Marzi (I will do what I want). I will do whatever comes to my mind. Does the country run like thisIJ Democracy does not function with ‘Mantantra’. The country does not run on its basis. Whatever you may think but the system does not run like this,” Modi said, while addressing the Jagran Forum of Dainik Jagran here on Thursday.
The PM said democracy cannot be restricted to elections and Governments alone and that one of the two main dangers before it is “Mantantra” (functioning as per one’s whims and fancies) with the other being “Dhantantra” (money power).
Seeking to change the Opposition’s discourse that the Government had reached out to them only for the passage of the GST Bill, Modi linked the disruptions in Parliament with the loss being caused to the poor in the country. The PM said the poor were not getting their rights as legislations to benefit them were stuck due to disruptions in Parliament.
“It is a matter of sorrow that the poor are not getting their rights due to Parliament not functioning. However, the talk is only centred on the GST Bill versus Parliament. Whatever has to happen with the GST, it will be done in consultation with everybody to decide the fate of India but what about the poor, what about the common man,” he said.
“Due to Parliament not running this time a particular law is also stuck, which we have brought to enhance the bonus amount for the poor in jobs from Rs3,500 to Rs7,000. This also seeks to increase the salary ceiling for giving bonuses from the existing Rs7,000 to Rs21,000. Is this not for the poorIJ” he said.
Modi said the Government is requesting that the Parliament be allowed to function and pointed out that there cannot be a bigger forum than Parliament for discussion, debate and communication.
“But if we will negate the institution itself, then there will be a question mark on democracy itself. We have to keep in mind the dignity of democracy and enact laws for the benefit of the common man and the country.
We have to lay emphasis on it, strengthen it,” the PM said. Giving the analogy of the sitar, he said all its strings need to be tightened to strike the right note and if even one string is loose, it will be out of tune.
“If one has influence, one has to convince people of one’s views and carry them with him. We cannot run the country like this. In democracy, you have to connect, you have to assimilate. If you have to dilute (your stand), dilute it,” he added.
“Now the situation is such where every work has been left for the Government to do. Gandhi’s model was that everything would be done by the people. The demand of the time is that we make the journey of India’s development a people’s movement,” he said while he also referred to the impact of programmes like Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan and “Give It UP” for voluntary withdrawal of gas subsidy.
Addressing the event organised by Dainik Jagran, the Prime Minister also spoke of “mission mode” journalism and hailed the role of the Fourth Estate, saying this mission mode should not get any blow either from inside or outside.
“The personal sector is a source of great strength,” he had said and listed the Government’s initiative ‘PM Mudra Yojna’ of giving out loans to small entrepreneurs.
Jagran CMD Mahendra Mohan Gupta, Dainik Jagran CEO and Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Gupta and Jagran and Midday Infomedia Director Shailesh Gupta were among others present at the event.