“When government has fulfilled all our demands, what is the purpose of participating in debates or discussions in Parliament?” asked an MP.
Published Feb 15, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 15, 2024 | 9:00 AM
Ramesh Jigajinagi (left), Ananth Kumar Hegde (centre), V Srinivas Prasad (right).
In the bustling corridors of India’s parliamentary democracy, the voice of the people finds its resonance through the elected representatives who occupy the hallowed halls of the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Parliament.
These representatives are entrusted not just with votes but with the hopes and aspirations of millions, with the implicit expectation that they will articulate and advocate for the concerns of their constituents.
Yet, amid the clamour of debates and discussions, a disquieting reality emerges — reports reveal that a notable fraction of Lok Sabha MPs have chosen the path of silence, with nine out of 543 members, of the 17th Lok Sabha, refraining from uttering a single word in the august chambers of the Parliament.
Among the nine MPs who did not utter a word in the 17th Lok Sabha, three of them are from the Karnataka BJP unit — Chamarajanagar MP V Srinivas Prasad, Vijayapura MP Ramesh Jigajinagi, and Uttar Kannada MP Ananth Kumar Hegde.
These aforementioned parliamentarians from Karnataka have neither participated in a single discussion on Bills nor any of the debates in the 15 sessions held between 2019 to 2024.
Apart from these parliamentarians, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and DV Sadananda Gowda from Karnataka have not asked a single question in the last five years.
In the 17th Lok Sabha, which is currently in place since 2019, the BJP’s three MPs have barely participated in the Parliament proceedings.
According to the data provided by Lok Sabha on its official website, “Six-time MP Ramesh Jigajinagi has asked merely one question in the last five years, and has not participated in a single debate or discussion on Bills. Similarly, V Srinivas Prasad has neither asked questions nor participated in a single parliament proceeding.”
“MP Ananth Kumar Hegde has asked 14 questions but has not participated in any debates or discussions. These three MPs have 74 percent (Srinivas Prasad), 32 percent (Ramesh Jigajinagi), and 67 percent (Ananth Kumar Hegde) attendance, in the 17th Lok Sabha,” as stated on the LS’s official website.
Aside from these three MPs, JD(S)’s Prajwal Revanna, and BJP’s BN Bache Gowda and DV Sadananda Gowda have participated in the less than five debates.
Former Union minister and MP Ramesh Jigajinagi told South First, “When the government has fulfilled all our demands, then what is the purpose of participating in debates or discussions in the Parliament? I have good attendance in the 17th Lok Sabha.”
The 6-time parliamentarian added, “The government has responded to all the demands and queries pertaining to the development of my constituency. When the government has addressed all our issues, then what is the necessity for me to raise my voice in the House?”
He continued, “I do not speak in the House to show-off before the Parliament or public. The country and my constituency have witnessed overall development in the last decade. Prime Minister Modi is dayvipurash. He has fulfilled whatever developments we have asked in our constituency. He has made this country proud on the international stage.”
“I don’t have a single black mark in my four-decade-long political career. Let at least one person point at me and make allegations of corruption and irregularities,” the BJP lawmaker concluded.
South First made attempts to contact Ananth Kumar Hegde and V Srinivas Prasad, however, neither answered our calls.
Of the 28 MPs from Karnataka, 13 MPs have asked over 100 questions to the government in the Parliament between 2019 to 2024.
Davanagere MP GM Siddeshwar has asked a whopping 277 questions, which is highest among the Karnataka MPs, and he has participated in 14 debates. He is followed by Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh, who has asked 241 and 228 questions, respectively, and who participated in 13 and 18 debates, respectively.
Raichur MP Raja Amareshwara Naik, Chikkodi MP Annashaeb Jolle, Kolar MP S Munniswamy, Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav, and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya have asked over 150 questions and participated in at least 10 debates in the Parliament.
Even independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, JD(S)’s lone MP Prajwal Revanna, Haveri MP Shivakumar Udasi, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan, and Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra have actively taken part in the Parliament proceedings.
