Presiding officers ultimate guardians of people's voice: VP Radhakrishnan

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chair C P Radhakrishnan on Friday said that facilitating debate, dialogue and discussion with decorum and dignity, amidst diversity of views, is a shared and primary responsibility of the presiding officers of legislatures across the world.

Hosting a lunch for the speakers and presiding officers of the Commonwealth Parliaments here on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, he said the historic Samvidhan Sadan (old Parliament building)stands as a symbol of India's vibrant and flourishing parliamentary democracy over more than seven-and- a-half decades.

He said that the gathering reflected the spirit of collective harmony and shared purpose that unites Commonwealth democracies. Drawing from India's civilisational ethos, he emphasised the importance of moving forward together through dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect.

Referring to the role of the presiding officers, Radhakrishnan underlined that facilitating debate, dialogue and discussion with decorum and dignity, amidst diversity of views, is a shared and primary responsibility.

He noted that while Commonwealth nations differ in geography, culture and historical experience, they remain bound by a common Parliamentary ethos and a collective commitment to democratic principles and values.

The Rajya Sabha Chair said that presiding officers serve as the ultimate guardians of the dignity of legislatures and the voice of the people, entrusted with maintaining a careful balance between free expression and orderly conduct in hallowed chambers. PTI NAB NAB MPL MPL