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No criticism of govt results in tyranny: Hamid Ansari

Ansari’s speech was seen as significant as it comes a day before former BJP leader Naidu takes over as Vice President.

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Outgoing Vice President Hamid Ansari stuck to his candid approach despite facing scathing criticism from his successor Venkaiah Naidu and warned in his farewell speech on Thursday that a democracy runs the risk of degenerating into a tyranny if free and frank criticism of government policies was not allowed. 

The Rajya Sabha Chairman, however, cautioned on the last day of his second five-year term that MPs had every right to criticise, but their right of criticism should not degenerate into willful hampering and obstruction of the work of Parliament. “All groups have their rights and their responsibilities”. Ansari said there should be a calibrated restraint on hasty legislation. 

Ansari’s speech was seen as significant as it comes a day before former BJP leader Naidu takes over as Vice President.

Naidu would oversee the proceedings of the Upper House that has witnessed tough battles between the Opposition and the Treasury benches on various contentious issues.

In an apparent piece of advice to Naidu, Ansari said that the Chair was like an umpire in cricket or a referee in a hockey match, witnessing the play but without becoming a player. “It’s only source of reference is the book of rules,” he said.

He said the Rajya Sabha upholds democracy’s sacred creed that debate and discussion were not a stumbling block, but an indispensable preliminary to wise action. “Deviations from this golden rule contribute neither to diligent policy making nor to our claim to be a mature democracy based on Rule of law,” he said.

“This House is a creation of the Constitution and reflective of the wisdom and foresight of the founding fathers who wished it to portray India’s diversity and to be a calibrated restraint on hasty legislation.”

He hoped that all sections of the House would seek to achieve this laudable objective, as the manner in which they conduct business is watched by the citizens with a discerning eye.

He also said that “a democracy is distinguished by the protection it gives to minorities. .... but at the same time the minorities have also their responsibilities.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and many others praised Ansari for his role in handling the Upper House.

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