Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned briefly for 10 minutes on Friday in the absence of Cabinet Ministers.
The Vice President, C P Radhakrishnan, who is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, then asked a junior minister to request for the presence of Cabinet Ministers, and said that he will take up the matter with the government.
“I understand the procedure. I have requested the minister. One of the Cabinet ministers should come,” he said when Opposition MPs pointed out that none of the Cabinet ministers were present.
The Opposition MPs, however, were not satisfied and insisted that the House proceedings be adjourned until a Cabinet minister is present.
“This is an insult to the House. You have to adjourn the House till a Cabinet minister comes,” said Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh.
The chairman waited another five minutes before adjourning proceedings for 10 minutes.
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Soon after, proceedings began, and the House paid homage to those who had valiantly fought terrorists and foiled their attack on the parliament on December 13, 2001.
When the House reassembled, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed regret for the absence of Cabinet Ministers in the House, saying his presence was required in the Lok Sabha to mourn the death of former speaker and former Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil.
Leader of the House, J P Nadda, said he was away since he had questions marked in his name in the Lower House. “I regret that a Cabinet Minister was not there,” he added.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, meanwhile, brought to the Upper House’s attention that since Patil was also a former member of the Rajya Sabha, the House should mourn his death.
Rijiju then replied that the death “will be duly condoled in this House also”.
Besides Rijiju and Nadda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was among the ministers present in the House when it reassembled.
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