Throwing Book, Climbing on Table: The Episode That Gave 'Sleepless Night' to RS Speaker Venkaiah Naidu

Moments before the House of Parliament was adjourned ‘Sine-Dine’ on Wednesday, its members witnessed Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu get emotional over the ruckus created by opposition MPs on Tuesday.

Ugly scenes were witnessed in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as opposition MPs climbed on the officials’ table, waved black cloth, and threw files when the House began a discussion on farmers’ protest against new reform laws. Several MPs stood on the table where the parliamentary staff sits right below the chair, while others crowded around it shouting anti-government slogans. A few members squatted on the tables for over one-and-half hours during which proceedings were adjourned multiple times.

Referring to Tuesday’s events, Naidu said Parliament, the apex legislature of the country, is regarded as the “temple of democracy” hence all sacredness of the House was destroyed yesterday when some members sat on the tables and some climbed on the table where officers and reporters of the House, the Secretary General and the Presiding Officer sit and which is considered as the holy sanctum sanctorum of the House.

As soon as it began, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Trinamool Congress members resorted to an undemocratic attitude. Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday threw files at the Rajya Sabha Chair while the entire Opposition celebrated the ruckus in the Parliament.

The code of conduct of the opposition MPs was widely criticized by people alike.

The Congress is not able to digest the fact that farmers are prospering with the new government policies,” Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in New Delhi. He said that “the attitude of Congress and TMC during the discussions in Rajya Sabha has dealt a major blow to democracy and proves that there is nothing black in the new farm laws”. “Black can only be seen in the clothes of Opposition leaders,” Tomar said.

Since the start of the Monsoon session on July 19, parliamentary proceedings have been continuously witnessing disruptions due to protests by opposition parties. The situation progressively got worse for the Chairs to conduct debates and discussions as Congress MPs and other Parliamentarians made sure that proceedings were sabotaged on a daily basis.Except the constitution (127th) amendment bill giving rights to states to frame own OBC list, most of the other bills were passed without debate.

Due to frequent adjournments and disruptions with opposition MPs’ continuing protests, 74 hours and 46 minutes of the stipulated 96 hours were wasted, TOI noted.

The sixth session of 17th Lok Sabha, which was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, had 17 sittings and functioned for 21 hours and 14 minutes. I don’t want to run the House like this, Rajya Sabha Chairman was heard saying expressing dismay at the unruly behavior of the MPs.

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