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Somnath for right to recall representative

Staff Reporter

`Media not highlighting the many good things coming out of Parliament' "Media not highlighting the many good things coming out of Parliament"

BANGALORE: The people's right to recall a representative who fails to live up to their expectations is an important democratic tool, and "I have been a strong votary of it," Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said here on Sunday.

Mr. Chatterjee, who was in the city to participate in the 125th graduation ceremony of St. Joseph's College, told presspersons that the recent case of the BJP MP, Babulal Katara, who was caught for alleged involvement in human trafficking, was not a reflection on the institution of Parliament.

"Parliament is still the noblest of institutions, and every one there is not undesirable. But there is a need for a mechanism such as the right to recall, to help infuse a sense of accountability among elected representatives and I have also argued in favour of it," Mr. Chatterjee said.

In Parliament, every one is condemning this "abominable behaviour and I have forbidden him (Mr. Katara) from entering the House until he is cleared of all allegations." Right now, it is difficult to expel him as in the case of MPs who were involved in the cash-for-query incident, Mr. Chatterjee said.

Mr. Chatterjee, who had harped on the theme of "society's role" while addressing the graduating students, reiterated that society has the power to punish, by ostracising, and speaking out against such behaviour from elected representatives.

He chided the media for not highlighting the many good things that come out of Parliament.

"We have 24 parliamentary committees, working on all kinds of issues that cannot be discussed in Parliament; there is the forum of young parliamentarians, and the media has access to the libraries and the Lok Sabha TV, yet there is no positive coverage," he said.

"Sometimes I despair. An entire generation is growing up thinking politics is undesirable, and is not an option for a career," he added.

In his speech on "Sixty years of Independence: An Agenda for Youth", Mr. Chatterjee said with 43 per cent of the population being young, there is a vast human resource potential that can be guided towards the emerging opportunities to contribute to nation-building. The decision of Parliament to bring down the voting age to 18 years enabled millions of youth to influence the electoral system, and the choice of leaders for governance.

Another amendment to the Constitution enabled people aged 21 to get elected to the panchayati raj institutions and the urban local bodies.

The Parliamentary Forum of Youth, an initiative mooted by him two years ago, has emerged as a platform for experts, academics and government agencies to stimulate fresh and original thinking on varied issues, he said.

Mr. Chatterjee said, "Our Parliament still remains the most potent vehicle for translating people's expectations into reality."

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