Venkaiah Naidu brings changes in Rajya Sabha on Day 1 as Chairman

NEW DELHI: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presided over the Rajya Sabha for the first time as the Chairman on Friday. On the first day itself, he brought minor changes in the conduct of the upper house of Parliament.

First: He asked ministers and members not to use colonial terms while laying papers on the table. When ministers on Friday stood up to lay the listed papers on the table, they began their sentences by saying "I beg to lay on the table the papers listed against my name in today's revised list of business." 

Naidu then objected to the use of the "I beg to". He said: "Just say I raise to lay on the table. No need to beg... This is independent India."

However, he clarified that this was just a suggestion and not any order.

Second: Naidu read out the obituary references while standing. In the past, Hamid Ansari and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat read the obituary references while being seated.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, however, stands while reading out obituary references. 

This is the first session of Parliament that he is presiding over as the Chairman after taking over as Vice President of India in August. 

The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Friday but the first day itself was marred by interruptions with the opposition demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "conspiracy with Pakistan" remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

The Rajya Sabha saw three adjournments before the Chair finally called it a day, a little after 3 PM following continued uproar and slogan-shouting. 

As opposition members continued slogan-shouting and trooped into the Well, Naidu said "You want to do like this on the first day itself? I don't appreciate the conduct of coming to the Well. ... There is a saying that all is well, not well. Try to understand this."