Ner Delhi — Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar warned Monday that public unrest could erupt if Parliament continues to be disrupted and becomes irrelevant.

Speaking at the launch of “Parliament: Powers, Functions & Privileges; a Comparative Constitutional Perspective,” by K.S. Chauhan, Dhankhar stressed the importance of a functioning Parliament for a healthy democracy.

Dhankhar said Parliament’s primary function is to hold the government accountable through dialogue, debate and discussion. He warned that a non-functional Parliament would lead to a lack of accountability, posing a threat to democracy.

“People will take to agitations. People will find a way out and therefore if Parliament is non-functional, it will gradually get into irrelevance, and that will be a threat to democracy,” Dhankhar said. He highlighted the need for lawmakers to address the nation’s aspirations by enacting policies, emphasizing that this can only occur through a fully functional Parliament.

Dhankhar also noted that India’s economic growth is dependent on a functioning Parliament. “We are the fifth-largest global economy, we will soon be the third-largest. But the challenge is there. An eightfold increase in per capita income has to be achieved for a developed nation status. And that can happen only when Parliament, its committees perform and outperform themselves,” he said.

The vice president also stressed the importance of ethical conduct within Parliament, citing a recent incident where a wad of cash was found on a Rajya Sabha seat. He expressed concern over the lack of accountability surrounding the incident, calling it a “collective challenge to our ethical standards.”

Dhankhar concluded by expressing confidence in the potential of lawmakers, saying, “I envy their enormous talent, their capacity, their contribution. They are very learned people and, therefore, I am sure this book will be an eye opener to those who urge to take this nation forward.”