Disruptions: RS Chairman says govt should reach out to Oppn

NEW DELHI: Expressing distress at the Rajya Sabha not being able to function for three straight weeks now, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday asked the government to arrive at an understanding with Opposition parties so that the House can function from next week.

Congress MPs led by party president Rahul Gandhi stage a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on Parliament complex, demanding that the Centre seeks a review of the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Act, in New Delhi on Friday. Tribune Photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Sanjeev Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 23

Expressing distress at the Rajya Sabha not being able to function for three straight weeks now, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday asked the government to arrive at an understanding with Opposition parties so that the House can function from next week.

The Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned even after Naidu expressed anguish as Opposition parties continued with their protest. The Lok Sabha also had to be adjourned following similar scenes. Both Houses have been stalled since the second half of the Budget session commenced on March 5.

After paying tributes to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukdev, Naidu read out a written statement in which he said he had seen very few distressing events as the present one, as the Rajya Sabha could not discharge the mandated duties for three weeks.

“All sections of the House need to introspect as to why as the Upper House of Parliament, we have let down the people of the country for three long weeks,” he said.

Naidu said he could understand that MPs might resort to disruption for a couple of days to press their issues, but “persisting with it for three weeks has no justification”.

Congress members countered this by blaming the government for the stalemate and alleged it did not engage the Opposition parties.

Stating that people of the country were aspiring for a change, Naidu said, “People are asking me why the House is not getting adjourned sine die.” He said MPs from all sides should reflect and decide as the people were deeply disturbed.

Naidu asked the government to make efforts to ensure the House functioned as there was a lot of legislative business lined up. “I hope the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and the government would take into confidence members of different political parties and come to some understanding. Make sure that by Monday, at least, the House will run and have all this business transacted,” Naidu said.

The government said it was making efforts to break the logjam in Parliament.