New Delhi: Chief Justice of India NV Ramana condemned the functioning of the Parliament on Sunday, called its current situation "a sorry state of affairs", reports NDTV.
He said there is no proper debate in the house and asked the legal fraternity to contribute their time toward public service. He was addressing an event held at the Supreme Court marking the 75th Independence of India,
He compared it with earlier times when both houses of the Parliament were "full of lawyers".
He said that there is no clarity in laws passed, and the judiciary does not understand the law's purpose, ultimately a loss to the public. He said that this happens when there are no intellectuals and lawyers in the Houses.
He pointed out that many of India's freedom fighters were from the legal fraternity, and the first members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were filled with the lawyers' community.
During the early years after Independence, the Houses were perfectly functional, and debates were constructive. Laws were discussed and deliberated, and one had a clear picture of the legislative part of the law.
But it is unfortunate what is seen in the Houses nowadays, he added.
He urged lawyers not to confine themselves to legal service but engage in public service too, contributing their knowledge and wisdom to the country.
On the occasion of 75th Independence, it was time to review policies and achievements, he opined. He said that 75 years is a long period in a country's history, but our saturation levels have reached the bottom. Independence Day is a day of happiness, as we felt when we were at school having sweets and a flag, but now we are not very much happy, he said.