Opposition takes up their case with RS Chairman

A day after the opposition and the government blamed each other for chaos in the Rajya Sabha, the opposition took their case to House Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu's door on Thursday.

A joint opposition delegation including representatives from the Congress, Shiv Sena, met the Rajya Sabha Chairman and after the meeting Mallikarjun Kharge said, "we have apprised the chairman about the incident that happened yesterday as 40-50 people were brought from outside and women MPs were manhandled."

A joint opposition statement issued by 14 leaders says, "It is the Government, which is squarely responsible for the stalemate, has refused to accept the opposition's demand for an informed debate in both the houses. The Government used its brute majority to push through its legislative agenda in violation of established procedures, conventions and spirit of Parliamentary democracy."

The government representatives -- Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had blamed the opposition for the incident which happened on Wednesday.

Goyal on Wednesday demanded that the Chairman should constitute a special committee to enquire into the behaviour of the MPs, as done in the Lok Sabha in the past, and "strict action should be taken... mere suspension will not work".

He alleged that the opposition, right from the first day, had planned that it will not allow the house to function, though the house passed 21 bills.