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Deve Gowda urged Sonia Gandhi, as a senior leader in the Opposition, to advise Congress leaders and MPs to restore discipline and uphold parliamentary norms
Deve Gowda and Sonia Gandhi. (File)
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has written to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressing serious concern over the recent disruptions in Parliament, which he said were largely being led by Opposition parties, particularly Congress MPs.
In his letter dated March 16, Gowda said the chaotic scenes in and around Parliament — including slogan shouting, display of placards, dharnas and blockades — were unprecedented and risked damaging the foundations of India’s parliamentary democracy.
Drawing on his 65 years of public life, much of it spent in the Opposition, the former Prime Minister said protests must not undermine the dignity and traditions of Parliament. He noted that even during intense political disagreements in the past, parliamentary decorum was maintained.
Recalling the democratic values espoused by leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, B. R. Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Gowda said the traditions they established should continue to guide parliamentary conduct.
While acknowledging that the role of the Opposition was both difficult and important, he said protests should take place within established parliamentary rules and traditions. He urged Gandhi, as a senior leader in the Opposition, to advise Congress leaders and MPs to restore discipline and uphold parliamentary norms.
Gowda said the Opposition had every right to protest, but cautioned that such actions should not weaken institutions built over the past 75 years of India’s democracy.
The ongoing Budget Session has witnessed repeated disruptions in both Houses, with Opposition MPs staging protests, raising slogans and displaying placards over a range of issues. The protests have frequently led to adjournments and stalled proceedings, with the government and Opposition trading accusations over the responsibility for the disruptions.
March 16, 2026, 14:44 IST
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