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Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Wednesday expressed his dismay over the conduct of opposition members as they insisted, despite his ruling, on clarifications over External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement on recent developments in the India-China border areas.
"Time and again, I have invited the attention of Hon'ble Members to the fact that we are being watched by the entire nation. Our demeanour is causing a serious dilution of the institution. When I refer every time to the kind of indecorous behaviour seen and the kind of body language reflected, it doesn't earn me any accolades. But I do it only to restore, Hon'ble Members, your dignity," he said. "I want you to kindly contribute and believe in some kind of rules. I would request the Members, please interact amongst yourselves outside the House. Evolve some kind of a consensus. There are issues of security, of national importance, where we need to exhibit exemplary conduct," he added. The Chairman said that the External Affairs Minister had made a comprehensive statement. In his remarks, Jaishankar said that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is a pre-requisite for the development of bilateral ties with China. "In the coming days, we will be discussing both de-escalation as well as effective management of our activities in the border areas," he said. The minister said that conclusion of the disengagement phase "now allows us to consider other aspects of our bilateral engagement in a calibrated manner, keeping our national security interests first and foremost". Jaishankar said that in his recent meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, they reached an understanding that the Special Representatives and the Foreign Secretary level mechanisms will be convening soon. (ANI)
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