Parliamentary Conduct Crisis: Opposition Marginalization and Erosion of Deliberative Democracy

Indian Express - Opinion · 18 Feb 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

Recent parliamentary sessions saw the government dominate proceedings while the Opposition faced repeated silencing, including suspension of MPs, highlighting systemic degradation of legislative scrutiny and institutional integrity.

Key points

Speaker's Role: The Lok Sabha Speaker disallowed the Leader of Opposition from citing critical excerpts from a former army chief's memoirs, suspending eight Opposition MPs, raising concerns about impartiality in parliamentary proceedings.

Prime Minister's Narrative: PM Modi's 97-minute Rajya Sabha speech framed India's progress as a binary 'Before and After 2014', centering himself as the protagonist while marginalizing Opposition voices and historical continuity.

Anti-Congressism: Despite Congress's electoral decline, the BJP continues to position it as the primary ideological opponent, acknowledging its pan-India narrative capacity compared to regional parties' limited reach.

Opposition Strategy Failure: Rahul Gandhi's confrontational approach led to mass walkouts, denying regional MPs from poll-bound states like Assam and West Bengal opportunities to raise local issues.

Rajya Sabha Contrast: Mallikarjun Kharge's speech critiqued governance failures on social justice, worker safety, and parliamentary processes, demonstrating a broader Opposition strategy beyond personality-centric attacks.

[GS2-Governance] This connects to GS2's 'Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning' by illustrating how executive dominance undermines legislative oversight, a recurring UPSC theme.

[GS3-Economy] The PM's emphasis on India-EU/US trade deals during his speech ties to India's economic diplomacy, but parliamentary disruptions risk undermining detailed scrutiny of such agreements.

Institutional Erosion: Repeated suppression of Opposition voices erodes Parliament's constitutional role as a deliberative body, weakening checks on executive power under Articles 75 and 107.

Way Forward: Parliament should adopt enforceable speaking time quotas for Opposition, establish an independent Speaker selection panel, and mandate written responses to all raised points to restore deliberative democracy.

Key terms

Deliberative Democracy

A governance model emphasizing reasoned debate over majority rule, integral to parliamentary proceedings. Its erosion through rushed bills or silenced opposition violates the 'procedure established by law' spirit under Article 21.

Leader of Opposition

A statutory position under the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977, granted to the largest opposition party with at least 10% seats. Crucial for institutionalizing opposition voices in parliamentary committees and debates under Article 75 scrutiny mechanisms.

Motion of Thanks

A constitutional obligation under Article 87 where Parliament thanks the President for their address, serving as a platform for debating government policies. Amendments can be moved to express dissatisfaction, making it a key accountability tool.

Parliamentary Privileges

Special rights granted to MPs under Articles 105 and 194 to ensure free speech and effective functioning. Includes immunity from legal action for parliamentary speeches, but misuse to suppress dissent undermines democratic accountability.