President Pranab Mukherjee to MPs: For God's Sake, Do Your Job

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday asked the Opposition to not disrupt Parliament over demonetisation issue.

Addressing the Defence Estates Day Lecture 2016 function in New Delhi, Mukherjee said, "Disruption means you are hurt, you are gagging majority. Majority never participates in this disruption. Only minority comes to the well, shouts slogans, stops the proceedings and creates a situation in which the Chair has no option but to adjourn the House...".

"Disruption is totally unacceptable in Parliamentary system. People send representatives to speak and not to sit on dharna and not to create any trouble on the floor," he said speaking on "Electoral reforms for a stronger democracy" on the occasion.

The President noted that Parliament is in session for only a few weeks in a year.

"For demonstration, you can choose any other places. But for God's sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business. You are meant to devote your time for exercising the authority of members, particularly Lok Sabha members over money and finance," he said.

Maintaining that he is not targeting any single party or individuals, he said the responsibility is of everyone. "Fact remains that this (disruption) has become a practice which should not be acceptable at all. Whatever be the differences, we have the opportunity, to speak our mind, to speak freely and no court can interfere in what I say on the floor of the House," he said.

Mukherjee also pitched for passage of Women Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha and sought electoral reforms on a 'serious' note.

However, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi blamed the government for the ruckus. She said, "This is the first time, the President has reacted to the logjam in the Parliament. It is entirely on the government of the day to take note of the situation and act against the people who are disrupting the house. The government of the day should know that the Opposition is bound to ask tough questions and the government should not run away from it."

BJP spokesperson Sudesh Verma defended the Centre and said that the government is willing to accommodate the opposition members and debate over the issue of demonetisation.

The Opposition has held up both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of Parliament since the beginning of the Winter Session demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on demonetisation.