From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: All opposition parties, including the Trinamul Congress on Monday registered a protest with Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on insult to Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge during the President’s swearing-in ceremony in the Central by making him to sit in a seat not commensurate with the position he holds.
“We are writing to express our shock and protest at the deliberate disrespect shown to a very senior leader, violating the warrant of precedence and not in accordance with protocol courtesies due to him,” a 2-page protest letter said.
Union Minister and leader of House Piyush Goyal, however, asserted in the Rajya Sabha that the sitting arrangement was made as per the protocol and there was no disrespect shown to the post Kharge holds.
Meanwhile, the pandemonium that washed out all five sittings last week continued on Monday as well in both the Houses, with repeated adjournments. Speaker Om Birla lost temper on the opposition members raising slogans carrying placards in the well as he said it was his last warning that he has “no alternatie but action.”
Adjourning the House to 3 PM, he told the Opposition members that if they are ready to allow the business, they are welcome or they can use their right to protest outside. The pandemonium continued unabated when the House re-assembled at 3 PM with Rajendra Agrawal in the chair. He, however, carried on the special mentions amid the noisy scenes.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed the noisy scenes when it assembled at 3 PM. Dr Sasmit Ptra presiding over the sitting adjourned the House till 4 PM.
Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh in the Rajya Sabha tweeted that “combined Opposition, TMC and AAP included, has been demanding an URGENT discussion on price rise and GST on food items. But the Modi Sarkar remains adamant and has refused. Protests continue….”
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