Venkaiah Naidu upset over claims on not checking disruptions

New Delhi: Upset over assertions that the Rajya Sabha Chaiman was not doing anything to bring the Upper House of Parliament to order for conduct of proceedings, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said that he had on several occasions spoken to members to break the deadlock. Also, taking objection to an interview given by a member where it was said that the chair wasn’t doing enough as only handful of members rush to the Well and hold the House to ransom, Mr Naidu he had not only spoken to agitating members more than 10 times but also taken up the matter with several leaders of the House and some members individually.

The Upper House did not transact much business in the Winter Session of Parliament as proceedings on most days have been adjourned because of disruptions, particularly by AIADMK members who are protesting against a proposed dam on Cauvery river.

When the House met for the day, Mr Naidu appealed to all sections to allow the House to function as only three working days were left and important bills, statutory resolution and ordinances are pending approval.

“I would like everyone to understand that we are not sending a positive message,” he said, noting that the House has not been able to conduct much work.

Mr Naidu said that he felt sad about the Wednesday order when AIADMK members were suspended for the day but they continued their protest in the Well, forcing adjournment of proceedings for the day. Mr Naidu said one section is saying that the Chairman hasn’t done enough to smoothly conduct proceedings in the House.

He said that it is also being said that there is a plan in these disruptions and the subsequent adjournment of proceedings to stall discussion on issues. “Plan by whom,” he asked.

After Mr Naidu’s appeal for a smooth functioning of the House, proceedings went smoothly. However, AIADMK members staged a walkout after they were disallowed from raising the issue of planned construction of Mekedatu dam on Cauvery river in Karnataka.

Later, during the Zero Hour, Congress’s Viplove Thakur raised the issue of 37 students committing suicides in the Navodaya Vidyalayas in last 10 years to which the HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said the government has constituted a committee to look into reasons and was also working on appointing counsellors in each of the schools. In a separate mention, TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar Ray demanded withdrawal of the  

Union government’s recent notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept and monitor any computer system, saying the move may turn India into a “police state.”