As peace returns to RS, Congress MP again irks Naidu by protesting

A day after the opposition's strong objection to the adjoining of the Rajya Sabha for long hours by its Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, and with peace returning to the upper house, Congress MP K.V.P. Ramachnadra Rao on Wednesday yet again irked Naidu by entering the well.

A few minutes after the Rajya Sabha met for the day, Rao stood up and walked towards the well.

It was for the fourth working day in a row that Rao went to the well while displaying a placard to demand "justice" for Andhra Pradesh.

As soon as Naidu saw him coming, he warned him to go back to his seat. Rao however stood silently with his back to the Chair and facing the members.

This irritated Naidu, who warned he could not continue with the upper house proceedings in such circumstances, and asked Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to ask Rao to return to his seat.

"Ram Chandra Rao, I will not continue the house with such placards. Ghulam Nabi Azadji, take care of your member. Ask him to go back to his seat. (Congress leader) Anand Sharma, please persuade him," Naidu said.

"No doubdt the issue he wants to raise is an important issue. But at the same time, this is not the way. And I am not going to accept this. Some of you felt why the house is being adjourned. I cannot run the house like this. I am very clear about this," the Chair added.

"There are only two ways. Either I name him, take action, or adjourn the house. You people decide," a visibly irritated Naidu told the members.

Azad intervened and said his party does not "approve of this kind of behaviour of the member".

On Tuesday, Naidu had adjourned the house till 2 p.m. minutes after it met for the day. The opposition strongly objected to this and alleged that "rules, regulations, procedures and traditions were being ignored" by the Chair.

However, on Wednesday morning, Naidu met oppsition members in his chamber and sorted out the issue.

All parties agreed that the Rajya Sabha should run and promised cooperation in its smooth functioning.

As Rao persisted with his demonstrtion, Naidu told him that all the parties had agreed to smooth functioning of the house and he was the lone disturber.

"If today one member does it, tomorrow another member will do it," Naidu said.

The Rajya Sabha Chair also chided newly elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh who advised Naidu to "ignore Rao's behaviour".

"Even if I ignore it, the country will not ignore it. Sanjay Singh, you are a new member. Please watch for some time. Why are you meddling in this matter?" Naidu said.

"Rama Chandra Rao, I am invoking Rule 255 and also directing you to conduct yourself by going back to the seat or withdraw from the house for the rest of the day," the Chairman told Rao.

At this, The Congress member walked out of the house, but kept displaying his placard. Naidu said no cameras should be focused on him or his placard.

--IANS

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