Stop Disrupting Parliament, Indian President Tells MPs

India's president Monday told lawmakers to stop disrupting parliament with protests, saying a "noisy minority cannot be allowed to gag a patient majority", as the government has struggled to pass legislation despite its strong mandate.

President Pranab Mukherjee said there was a growing tendency for lawmakers to resort to holding up parliament with protests, after a winter session in which the new government failed to push a number of key reforms through the house. 

"The cardinal principle of parliamentary democracy is that the majority has the mandate to rule while opposition has right to oppose, expose, and if numbers permit, to depose," Mukherjee said in a video address to students at national universities across the country.

"But, under no circumstances should there be disruption of proceedings.

"A noisy minority cannot be allowed to gag a patient majority."

Regular suspension of parliamentary proceedings is common in the world's largest democracy, where opposition lawmakers often resort to obstruction to denounce government policies and scandals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the biggest mandate in 30 years last May, raising hopes it be able to ensure the smooth passage of legislation.

But the government was only able to pass 10 out of 37 bills it had listed in the winter session, which ended last month.

Many of these bills have now been delayed until the next session that begins in February. 

The president also warned the government against the excessive use of ordinances or emergency executive orders to implement its key policies. 

"The constitution confers limited power upon (the) executive for ordinances to meet exigencies," he said.