Naidu disappointed at conduct of members in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, July 26: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday cautioned ruling and opposition members to not wander around the House when voting on a bill is under way, saying "these scenes" are not good as they are broadcast 'live'.

The issue cropped up when some opposition members accused a ruling party member of "influencing" the voting on the RTI bill on Thursday. "What happened yesterday has pained me. It has pained the people of the country also. There are children in the gallery too. I don't want to elaborate on that. We should see to it that such situations and such scenes are avoided in future," he noted.

"People in authority must be more careful. Even individual members are not supposed to move this side or that side and go and talk to them. If they want to talk to any member, they are at liberty to talk to them before the voting process starts and, that too, preferably outside the House," he observed. Naidu said he has been making observations in the House from time to time that members should not talk to each other, from one side to the other, when important business is taken up, or move from back benches to front benches, "these scenes are not good because live telecast is going on".

"I once again request all members to follow the decorum and maintain standards in the House so that the prestige and image of the House could be further enhanced. This is guidance for future only," he noted. Naidu clarified and reiterated that if any bill originating from the other house is taken up in this house and if any member wants to move amendments, then those amendments and bills would be taken up together for discussion.

He said that has been the practice in the House for long and successive chairpersons have given a ruling and the House has followed the same. The chairman also said amendments would be taken up first after discussion and then, there would be voting on them. If the amendments are carried out, to refer it to the Select Committee, then there is no meaning in having voting on the bill.

"If the amendment is negatived, then there would be voting on the bill also. This has been the tradition. That has to be understood by all and everybody should respect that. In future also we may have such situations," he said.

The chairman also observed during the Zero Hour that once the voting process starts, whether electronic voting or by slips, "in such a situation, nobody from this, that or any side is expected to move to any other place and talk to members. This is once the voting process starts."

PTI