New Delhi, Aug. 25 -- Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Parliament and state assemblies were places of debate and discussions "but disrupting their functioning for political gains" was not true debate. Calling it a growing trend, he said that elected representatives must rethink protest plans as they limit the nation's development. The comments, made at the All India Speakers' Conference on the Delhi Assembly premises, came just three days after the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded with minimal legislative work, largely due to disruptions and repeated adjournments amid opposition protests. "If meaningful debates do not take place in the corridors of Parliament and legislative assemblies, they will merely become lifeless buildings.preventing functioning for political interests is not a debate. Protests should be restrained. Symbolic protests have their place, but the emerging tradition of obstructing the House day after day, throughout entire sessions, under the pretext of protests, requires reflection from the public and elected representatives," Shah said during his 35-minute speech. The two-day Speakers' Conference is being organised by the Delhi Assembly. It commemorates the completion of 100 years of freedom fighter Vithalbhai Patel becoming the first elected Indian President of the Central Legislative Assembly, and to honour Patel's legacy and contributions to Indian democracy. CM Rekha Gupta said, "Amit Shah has always spoken in Parliament with facts, reason, and constitutional propriety. Whether it was the decision to abrogate Article 370 or introduce new laws to bring integrity into politics, he has consistently defended democracy and served the people's interests."...