Lok Sabha Speaker Birla calls dissent essential to democracy

Om Birla in the inaugural session of the ‘Janpratinidhi Sammelan’ (Public Representatives’ Conference) organised under the ‘Samvidhan Pakhwada’ (Constitution Fortnight) by the Haryana Legislative Assembly in Panchkula . Photo credit: X/loksabhaspeaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday (November 2, 2026) said that in a democracy, differences in opinions and perspectives are natural and there can be both agreement-disagreement.

Dissent must also be respected, he said while addressing the inaugural session of the ‘Janpratinidhi Sammelan’ (Public Representatives’ Conference) organised under the ‘Samvidhan Pakhwada’ (Constitution Fortnight) by the Haryana Legislative Assembly in Panchkula .

“Dissent provides direction, offers a vision and inspires people to work. Despite differences of opinion, everyone must make collective efforts to take the country and the State forward,” Mr. Birla said. He added that running the government was a responsibility, but public service was an even greater responsibility.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, the Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda along with Ministers and MLAs, were present on the occasion.

Hooda on key challenges in State

Mr. Hooda said that sixty years after Haryana’s formation, it continued to face multiple challenges, which urgently needed introspection. He said that around 80 criminal gangs were currently active in the State.

“Haryana has slipped to 14th position in terms of fiscal health. It ranks 15th in terms of borrowings and 11th in Sustainable Development Goals. Serious introspection is also necessary on the issue of unemployment,” he said.

“At the time of its formation, the State was backward in terms of economic, industrial and educational development, and its per capita income was only around ₹540. Over these six decades, Haryana has made remarkable progress in the fields of education and literacy. The literacy rate has increased from 20% to approximately 78%. Today, the State has more than 61 universities and colleges. Prestigious institutions such as AIIMS, IIM, NIFT and law schools have also been established. We are proud of this progress made by Haryana,” he added.

Published - November 03, 2026 12:32 am IST