CPI MP writes to President seeking intervention over Special Session of Parliament

New Delhi: Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam wrote to President Droupadi Murmu regarding the manner in which the government has proceeded to convene a Special Session of the Parliament starting from September 18.

In his letter, Viswam urged the President's intervention to "preserve the Parliamentary system" and said that it's evident that the system of checks and balances envisaged in the Constitution is under a major threat.
"I write to you with utter disappointment regarding the manner in which the government has proceeded to convene a Special Session of the Parliament from September 18, 2023 to September 22, 2023," he said.

"It was informed through the summons, that this Special Session shall not have any of the functions that Parliament as a legislature has always performed. It will not have zero-hour, question hour or private member's day. No agenda for the Special Session has been circulated. In our form of Government, the function of the Parliament is to keep the government accountable to the people. However, these actions make one wonder whether this session will be an Executive Parliament, replacing the House where debates, discussions and dissents took place," he added.

Viswam further noted, "As we witnessed in previous sessions, the government stifled members from discussing issues of utmost importance like Manipur violence, Adani revelations and the Pegasus snooping issue. At the same time, several laws with far-reaching consequences were passed hurriedly with little or no debate. In light of these attempts to make the Parliament ineffective, it appears that with this Special Session, the government intends to give a clear message that a parliamentary majority has enabled them to completely do away with the parliamentary system. The intention is to make Parliament a Bhakt Jan Samiti with no place for discussion."

"It's evident that the system of checks and balances envisaged in our Constitution is under a major threat. Hon'ble Rashtrapati ji you are sworn to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution' and in these extraordinary circumstances, I request your intervention to preserve the parliamentary system" he added.
CPI MP Binoy Viswam further stated that the President's intervention can allow parliamentary sessions to be a platform where questions and matters of importance are raised and deliberated upon, as they should in a Parliament.