Robust democracy needs vibrant legislative bodies: Naidu

“Legislative bodies – Parliament and (state) legislatures – have a high significance in a democracy. But now there is an amount of despondency and depression among people over the functioning of these institutions. 

“People are slowly getting disillusioned by certain acts of certain people, irrespective of the party they belong to. This is not good for democracy,” the vice president noted. Naidu was addressing a civic reception hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government here. 

“If the legislative bodies do not function properly, democracy will be weakened. There is also a threat of democracy failing,” he said. 

Naidu stressed on the need for legislative bodies becoming the fora for meaningful discussions and making purposeful legislations. They should push the country forward on a path of meaningful development, he said. 

“The legislative bodies should act in such a manner that people should come to view them as ones enriching development and not blocking it. Going by what’s happening in (village) panchayats, urban local bodies, state legislatures and Parliament, people are anguished.

“There’s a sense of deprivation among people that the legislative bodies are not functioning as per their desires and wants. We have to set this right.” Naidu, who is also chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said he will try to uphold the dignity of the Upper House of Parliament while presiding over it.