Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he was happy that Parliament and state legislatures were working towards realisation of the goal of 'one nation, one legislative platform'. Addressing the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) here virtually, he also rued that some political parties defend their members even if they violate the rules of the House, and warned that it did not augur well for Parliament and state legislatures. "In 2021, during discussions with you, I spoke about 'one nation, one legislative platform.' I am happy that our Parliament and state legislatures are now working towards this goal through E-Vidhan and Digital Sansad platforms," the prime minister said. Notably, the 'one nation, one legislative platform' project aims at making available the proceedings of all legislatures on a single digital platform. The image of a legislature depends on the conduct of its members, the prime minister stressed. "There was a time when, if any member in the House broke the rules and action was taken against that member, senior members of the House would talk to him so that in future he did not repeat the mistake and break the rules of the House. "But these days, some political parties stand in support of such members and defend their mistakes. The situation is not good for Parliament or state legislature," Modi said. Reflecting on the changing norms in public life, he said in the past, allegations of corruption against a member of the House would lead to his or her ostracisation from public life. "But now we witness public glorification of convicted corrupt individuals. This is an insult to the executive, the judiciary and the constitution," Modi said. Referring to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (legislation on women's quota in legislatures), Modi said discussions on suggestions aimed at enhancing women's participation and representation should be encouraged in legislatures. Underling the pivotal role of state governments and legislative assemblies in shaping India's progress, Modi said the country's progress hinges on advancement of the states. The progress of the states, in turn, depends on the determination of their legislative and executive bodies to define their development goals collectively, he added. On the significance of legislative committees, Modi said, "The empowerment of committees is crucial for the economic progress of your state. The more actively these committees work towards achieving set goals, the more the state will advance." In the last ten years, 2,000 redundant laws have been scrapped by his government, the prime minister noted. He also called upon presiding officers of legislatures to pay attention to unnecessary laws and their impact on the people's lives, stressing that their removal would have a significant positive impact.
