Venkaiah Naidu disappointed over stalemate on suspension issue; calls for discipline, decorum in House

New Delhi [India], December 20 (ANI): Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in resolving the stalemate on the issue of suspension of 12 members of the House that was effected on the first day of the ongoing Winter Session.
He expressed disappointment over noisy scenes in the House during the Zero Hour and called for discipline and decorum.
The ruckus began after the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan briefed Naidu on the meeting between the Centre and the leaders of five opposition parties for the resolution of the stalemate on the suspension issue today morning.
Muraleedharan explained that the Centre waited for the opposition leaders to turn up for the meeting but they did not.
Naidu then recalled that he had adjourned the House for the day last Friday, after urging both the sides to sit together and discuss the matter so as to enable the House to return to normal, "but was disappointed over the lack of progress as reported to him by the Minister".
He further observed that his priority is the functioning of the House and "discipline, decorum, decency, debate, discussion and decision".
With the ruckus continuing in the House, Naidu adjourned the House till 2:00 pm.
After the first adjournment, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi and the Leader of the House Piyush Goyal also met Naidu.
Later, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh also met the RS Chairman and gave feedback on the meeting that could not take place.
Earlier in the day, the Opposition rejected the Centre's invitation to floor leaders of five parties for a meeting to resolve the impasse over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs and demanded the inclusion of all the parties.
"The 12 suspended Rajya Sabha MPs should realise their mistake and talk to the Chair. The Opposition leaders did not come for the meeting called by the Government today," Union minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal said.
"The Opposition does not want Parliament to run. Causing disturbance and disruption is their mantra," Goyal said. (ANI)