With a series of disruptions marking the Parliament proceedings in recent times leading to acrimonious scenes on floor of both the Houses — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, a new set of “Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha” has been circulated to the members drawing the attention towards Parliamentary customs and conventions and Parliamentary etiquette.
This includes improperly raising of slogans like “Vande Bharat”, “Jai Hind” usage of words like “Thanks” and also abstaining from criticising rulings given by the Presiding officer and in this case Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Sources said similar manual is to be issued for the members of the Lok Sabha which every Parliamentarian will have to abide. The Monsoon Session begins on July 22 and is slated to conclude on August 12 and July 23 the annual Budget is scheduled to be announced.
The manual has advised that MPs should not display “placards” on the floor of the House as this will tantamount to House is “not in order”. “The decorum and the seriousness of the proceedings of the House require that there should be no ‘thanks’, ‘thank you’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Vande Mataram’ or any other slogans raised in the House,” said a bulletin by RS secretariat.
The Opposition protests have been more frequent and aggressive in recent times following which Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had engage in verbal duel with seniormost MPs as well.
The bulletin issued by the Table Office of the Rajya Sabha has mentioned a total of 28 conventions and etiquette that are usually practised in Parliament.
On the issue of rulings by the Chair, the bulletin noted that rulings are given by the presiding officer according to the precedents of the House, and where there is no precedent, the usual Parliamentary practice has been followed. “Rulings given by the Chair should not be criticised directly or indirectly inside or outside the House,” the bulletin said, citing the handbook.
Referring to Parliamentary etiquette, it said words containing insinuations, offensive and unparliamentary expressions should be scrupulously avoided. “When the Chair holds that a particular word or expression is unparliamentary, it should be immediately withdrawn without any attempt to raise any debate over it,” the handbook underlined.
It also reminded every MP as is the practice should “bow to the Chair” while entering or leaving the House as also before taking or leaving the seat. Further, when any member offers a criticism of another member or a minister, the latter is entitled to expect that the critic should be present in the House to hear his or her reply. “To be absent when the latter is replying is a breach of parliamentary etiquette,” the July 15 dated bulletin said.
The bulletin also reminded that “Questions pertaining to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat/ Lok Sabha Secretariat and the functions of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha/Speaker, Lok Sabha are not answered on the floor of the House” and “No member should speak unless he/she has caught the ‘eye’ of the Chair and has been called upon by the Chair.”
