Naidu asks MPs to avoid 'begging'

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday reminded the Ministers and members to avoid using the words "I beg to" while laying papers, reports etc on the table of the House.

The Chairman's stricture came as Minister of State for Law and Justice P.P. Chaudhary stood up to lay the papers for his Ministry in the House.

"Sir, with your permission, I beg to lay on the table of the House papers listed under my name," Chaudhary said.

Naidu interrupted: "No begging please...I have said it earlier too, but you might not have been present at that time. I told the members that when laying papers just say 'I seek permission to lay papers' or simply say 'I lay the papers'.

"It would be good to avoid the word 'begging'," he added before moving on to the next item in the list of business for the day.

Naidu had on the first day of this session told the MPs to avoid the word "beg" as it "reeked of colonial legacy".

Usually, the Ministers say "I beg to lay papers listed against my name".

However, the Ministers have avoided using the word ever since Naidu first told them to shun it.

Chaudhary, too, rectified his sentence and did not use the word when he rose to lay a different set of papers shortly afterwards.

As Chairman of the Upper House, Naidu has been quite a strict disciplinarian and has chided Ministers and members for indulging in activities like arguing with fellow members or speaking while sitting.

He has also told Ministers to be precise with their replies and the members to ask crisp questions so that more questions can be taken up everyday.

--IANS

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