Parliament is ‘North Star’ of democracy, says Vice-President

The Rajya Sabha Chairperson’s comments come days after the Chief Justice Of India called the basic structure doctrine the north star for interpreters of the Constitution

February 03, 2023 07:35 pm | Updated February 04, 2023 01:17 am IST - New Delhi

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar conducts proceedings in the House on February 3, 2023. Photo: Sansad TV via PTI

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar conducts proceedings in the House on February 3, 2023. Photo: Sansad TV via PTI

Stepping up the legislature versus judiciary debate, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar during the Parliament’s sitting on Friday stated that Parliament is the “north star” of democracy. This comes days after the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud‘s statement at a seminar, where he called the basic structure doctrine a “north star” that gives direction to interpreters and implementers of the Constitution.

The CJI on January 22, while delivering the Nani A. Palkhivala Memorial Lecture in the national capital, had remarked, “The basic structure of our Constitution, like the north star, guides and gives certain direction to the interpreters and implementers of the Constitution when the path ahead is convoluted.”

Without directly referring to CJI’s comment, Mr. Dhankhar, while chiding the opposition, who were protesting, demanding a debate on investments made by the Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India in the Adani Group, he said, “Parliament is the essence of democracy. Parliament is the north star of democracy. It is a place for discussion and deliberation to realise the aspirations and dreams of the people and not a place of disturbance. We are required to work in accordance with rules.”

Mr. Dhankhar has been consistent in his criticism of the judiciary “overstepping its boundaries”. He has also questioned the landmark 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case verdict on the basic structure doctrine. Mr. Dhankhar had said the verdict had set a “bad precedent” and if any authority questions Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution, it would be “difficult to say we are a democratic nation”.

Commenting on the variance between the stands of Mr. Dhankhar and Jusice Chandrachud, Congress MP and senior lawyer Vivek Tankha tweeted, “Parliament is the essence of democracy, whilst the basic structure doctrine is the bed rock & spirit of democracy. And we all are soldiers of democracy. Long live Indian Democracy.”

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