Parliament Monsoon Session: Opposition leaders protest against chairman Venkaiah Naidu for favouring 'ruling party' in Rajya Sabha

A section of Rajya Sabha leaders from the Opposition drafted a letter to the chairman of the Upper House, M Venkaiah Naidu, protesting against some of his methods of conducting proceedings in the House. NDTV reported that this is the first time that such a letter is being sent to the Rajya Sabha chairman. The issue will again be discussed at a joint meeting of various Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Left parties, TMC and Samajwadi Party. “The Opposition writing a protest letter to the Rajya Sabha chairman against the unfairness of the chair in the Upper House, by not allowing them to raise crucial burning issues confronting the country, is under our active consideration,” said a senior Opposition leader. [caption id=“attachment_4882591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of vice-president of India and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu. PTI[/caption] Hindustan Times reported that the grievances mentioned included “no space for Opposition parties for debate, favouring ruling party members, and adjourning the House according to his whims and fancies”, said an Opposition leader who asked not to be named. Other Opposition leaders also alleged that two questions on demonetisation and their answers were removed from the Rajya Sabha website. The report said that the letter was with one of the senior-most Opposition leaders, who was considering the next step. A non-Congress leader added, “Most of the Opposition leaders are upset. There are different ways of expressing our objections. We may put it in writing or meet him or informally convey the message.” On Tuesday, Opposition leaders were upset because the House was adjourned at 1 pm for just 10 minutes rather than break for lunch as has been the tradition, according to the NDTV report. “Sir, why are you calling a break like this? It is 1.10 pm,” Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress asked about the unusually short break when the house resumed. “First you answer, why is this disturbance?” Naidu shot back. The House was then adjourned for the day a few minutes later. Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted this week over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft list. The Congress, TMC and other Opposition members expressed anger over BJP president Amit Shah’s remarks on the NRC. “All the agenda being discussed in the Rajya Sabha is tilted in favour of the ruling party. The Opposition isn’t allowed any space to raise key issues, and this is not acceptable,” an Opposition leader said. Key issues need to urgently be discussed in the Rajya Sabha, but the chair does not allow them to be raised, and this is unfair, he said. The Opposition respects the chair, he said, but the Opposition space “cannot be usurped”, and the government alone will not decide on how the Upper House is run. Another leader added that the Opposition wishes to convey its sentiments and anguish that it is not being accorded its rightful space and time in the Rajya Sabha. Naidu’s counterpart in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, has already received one such rejoinder in the Monsoon Session. Eight Opposition leaders had questioned how she dealt with their attempt to move a no-trust motion against the government in the Budget Session of Parliament. “The issue of the Opposition writing a protest letter to the Rajya Sabha chairman against the unfairness of the chair in the Upper House, by not allowing them to raise crucial burning issues confronting the country, is under our active consideration,” said a senior Opposition leader. A final call will be taken by Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. With inputs from PTI