New Delhi, 16 March (H.S.): Former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP H.D. Deve Gowda penned a strongly worded letter to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday, decrying persistent disruptions in Parliament as a grave threat to democratic traditions.

Gowda expressed profound distress over the uncontrolled chaos engineered primarily by opposition parties inside Parliament and its premises, warning it could inflict lasting damage on democracy's foundations and breed long-term bitterness.

He noted his reluctance to write earlier, hoping matters would normalize during the Budget Session, but felt compelled to speak out amid unrelenting anarchy.Decades of Opposition ExperienceDrawing from 65 years in politics—90 percent on opposition benches—Gowda recalled his journey from grassroots legislator to PM, emphasizing that even he never invaded the House well for protests, guided by founders like Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar, and Azad.

He praised Gandhi's own graceful conduct in opposition, urging her to counsel Congress MPs and allies against excesses like slogan-shouting, placards, dharnas, blockades, and casual picnics on parliamentary stairs.

While acknowledging opposition's duty to highlight flaws, Gowda stressed protests must adhere to time-tested norms, not dismantle 75 years of parliamentary dignity. As potentially his final session, he implored Gandhi, the opposition's senior-most figure, to intervene lest such conduct harm their cause and future.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar