Amid Oppn protest, Naidu goes about business in RS

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 4

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday made a departure from his predictable act of adjourning the House on ground of slightest disorder on Tuesday by continuing with the business of Zero Hour in the face of opposition party members who raised slogans of protest against CAA, NPR and NRC.

MPs from different parties highlighted issues like the spread of coronavirus, onion exports, Nirbhaya rape case and locust attack on crops in some states during the Zero Hour.

The Congress, TMC and DMK members rose in protest after zero hour was allowed for their notices under Rule 267 for discussion on CAA, NPR and NRC having got rejected.

When Naidu continued with the proceedings, uncharacteristic of his “zero tolerance” to deviation of norms of conduct, the members resorted to a novelty: absolute silence when one of them got turn to raise the issue, but chants of slogans when members of BJP and its allies and even the officially neutral ones like BJD and AIADMK were given opportunity to raise issue.

They did not make allowance even for Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Parshottam Rupala when they made interventions.

Vaiko of the Tamil Naidu-centric MDMK, who is generally visibly audible in the House, was seen struggling even with him raising his pitch in raising an issue. On the contrary, members of another Tamil-centric DMK, a thick ally of the Congress, called truce while remaining parked in the House.

This apparent switch on-and-off tactics invited was taken note by Naidu, but the members ignored.

“Save democracy, same the House, save Constitution,” said Naidu.

At the sloganeering when Vijaysai Reddy of YRCCP raised an issue, Naidu said: “This is killing democracy.”

Rule 267 provides for suspension of business of the House to take up discussion on pressing and urgent issues. Naidu reasoned with members that they would get ample opportunity to raise the issues during discussion on Motion of Thanks to Presidential address to the joint sitting on both House of Parliament.

The CAA has emerged as a major political issue and the opposition wants to pin down the government by keeping the focus on it inside and outside the Parliament. Adjournment on the issue could have served the cause. Zero hour and question hour were washed out yesterday on the same issue.

Persistence of Naidu to continue with the proceedings apparently caught the members off guard. Some were seen shrugging shoulders and looking over shoulders towards each other, even as Naidu persisted with the business uncharacteristic of his apparent “zero tolerance” to protests.

AAP raises delay in Nirbhaya convicts’ hanging

New Delhi: The government and AAP on Tuesday indulged in verbal joust in the Rajya Sabha on the delay in execution of the hanging of the Nirbhaya rape convicts. After AAP member Sanjay Singh raised the issue during the zero hour, House Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the matter was “very sensitive and serious”. “The people of the country are concerned…I do not want to name any institution. They should fulfill their responsibility,” Naidu said. TNS