"Deviation from the rules is sacrileging this temple": Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said on Thursday that everyone in the Parliament should have the highest regard for conforming to the rules of the House, as any such deviation in tantamount to being sacrilegious to the "temple of democracy."
"If we start having our practice my way or no way, that is not only not democratic, that will pose a great challenge to the very existence of this sacred theatre. I have no doubt any deviation from the rules is virtually sacrileging this temple," Dhankar said during the Rajya Sabha session today.
Answering a question by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on "how to persuade the chair" he said that historically the chair has been persuaded by conforming to the rules.
"There is a good question emanating from, I would say, my dear friend Jairam Ramesh. He says, how do we persuade the chair? It's a good question. Therefore, I seek to answer it. We persuade the chair historically only by exhibiting highest standard of conformance to the rules. And as I indicated yesterday, the ruling of the chair must evoke deference and not a challenge," Dhankar Said.
He said that the rules of the house are quite comprehensive to allow every member to participate in the house proceedings.
"I'm sure rules are so comprehensive that they enable every member of parliament to contribute. Let me advert for a moment, during last session, we had the occasion to make a location of time, and we failed to utilise the time because of want of speakers. And therefore, there can be no grievance at all to voice your concerns, but in accordance with rules," he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, the RS chairman also called on the house members to raise the productivity bar and foster an environment of discussion, dialogue, and adherence to rules, highlighting the historic significance of the day marking the first day of the fourth quarter century since the adoption of the Indian Constitution.
"This being a historic day of the very first day of the fourth quarter of the century of adoption of the Indian Constitution, let us raise the productivity bar, let us generate an atmosphere that we exemplify by discussion, dialogue, deliberations and adherence to rules," Dhankar said while addressing the Rajya sabha.
During the Rajya Sabha session, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari raised a point of order and sought a clarification from the chair of the house on Rule 267. The rule allows house members to move a motion for suspension of rules to discuss urgent matters of public importance in the house.
The Opposition seeks to discuss the Adani issue in both the houses of Parliament, raising slogans to demand in the house and moving multiple adjournment motions demanding a discussion on the matter.