Opposition’s missile against VP Naidu

The Opposition parties led by the Congress are believed to have readied a letter to be handed over to Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu to register their protest at his alleged partisan role in conducting the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman and adjourning the House "according to his whims and fancies."

The letter reportedly drafted at the instance of the Trinamool Congress members after Naidu asserted in the House on Wednesday that he has the powers and discretion to adjourn it any time as he won't allow the daily ruckus giving bad name to the House supposed to have the "elders."

The Congress sources said the letter has not been yet delivered to the Chairman as the signatures of the members of more parties are being collected to register the protest that he "doesn't allow opposition parties any space for debate and favours ruling party (BJP) members."

A Trinamool MP said the presiding officers of both the Houses of Parliament conduct themselves as if they are part of the ruling BJP. They are supposed to be the umpires but at times they act like a player, he said.

Naidu's Lok Sabha counterpart, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, was handed over one such rejoinder by eight oppsotion parties this monsoon session on the way she blocked the no-confidence motions against the Modi government in the last budget session for 12 days in a row.

The opposition leaders in the Rajya Sabha initially debated harsher steps but later settled down for a letter to send their message.