RS chairman hints at action to stop disruptions

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday hinted that he would be compelled to take an "extreme view" of the two-week long disruptions in the House if they were not brought to an end soon.

He appealed to all sections of the House to enable normal functioning of the Rajya Sabha from next week.

Addressing the members at the start of the proceeding of the House, Naidu said the people were getting disillusioned and distressed over what was happening in the House. He asked the members not to test his patience and that of the people as well.

He wanted them to introspect as to why the House was not functioning even as several issues like the banking irregularities, the Cauvery issue, the concerns of the people of Andhra Pradesh and the sealing issue in Delhi were agitating the minds of people.

"We have to go either by consensus or by the majority of the House. You can't dictate and say either you go my way or highway and that is no way.....I am sorry I can't allow this sort of thing. I once again make an appeal before taking an extreme view of the same. You can't decide issues physically or by bringing placards and shouting slogans, please understand. I hope at least next week onwards we have a constructive debate in the House."

As chairman of the House, Naidu has been compelled to adjourn the proceedings for the day because of disruptions.

After the first adjournment of the House, Naidu held talks with the floor leaders and MPs of the DMK, the AIADMK and the TDP and urged them to stop what they were doing for the last two weeks in the House. They told Naidu that they would talk to the leadership of the respective parties in this regard.

Naidu also spoke to Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.