The Rajya Sabha witnessed some light moments amidst surcharged atmosphere on Monday when Chairman Hamid Ansari said the visiting Bhutanese parliamentary delegation will “see and learn” about Indian parliamentary process. This evoked all round laughter in the House which was in pandemonium due to ongoing protest by Congress and sharp exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches.
Welcoming the Bhutanese delegation, Ansari said, “we hope that during their stay here they would be able to see and learn more about our parliamentary system.” The word “learn” led to Elders laughing and some of them looking at the visitors seated in the Special Gallery. Even Ansari was seen smiling when the MPs laughed.
The House had already witnessed one adjournment with Congress and BJP trading charges leading to din. The Congress-led Opposition was gearing up for further attack on the ruling party when Ansari read out the welcome speech.
As soon as the Chair finished the welcome address and called for questions, the Congress MPs were up on their feet shouting slogans even as the visiting delegation was present in the House. Congress member Rajeev Shukla was supposed to ask a question to Human Resource and Development Minister Smriti Irani but could not do so. He was heard saying, “I cannot ask my question due to the din” and then took a dig at Irani “aap aaram se bathiye.” Unable to pacify the agitated Congress members, the Chair adjourned the House till after lunch.
Meanwhile, in the lok Sabha traffic jams in the national Capital, issues relating to self-styled religious figures, including Radhe Maa and ‘One Rank One Pension (OROP) came up even as the Congress members created a ruckus.