Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram on Thursday sharply criticised the functioning of Parliament, saying the Monsoon Session saw little meaningful discussion and too many Bills passed without proper debate.
The senior Congress leader also attacked proposed changes to the FCRA, warned that population-based delimitation could hurt southern states, and said One Nation, One Election could weaken India’s federal structure and disrupt the electoral system.
Speaking at a Congress meeting, Chidambaram compared Parliament with state assemblies and pointed to the Tamil Nadu Assembly as an example of stronger debate. “A government should not loot. This ( FCRA ) Bill is aimed at taking away the funds and assets of Christian and Muslim organisations. It is one of the worst laws,” Chidambaram alleged.
He questioned why important issues had not been taken up through adjournment motions in Parliament for 12 years. He alleged that 12 bills were passed during the monsoon session without proper discussion.
“After watching the proceedings of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, I sometimes feel that I should have been an MLA rather than an MP,” he said. “Day by day, Parliament is becoming a mockery and a laughing stock,” he said.
