Actor Rekha attended the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday amid criticism about her prolonged absence from Parliament since her nomination two years ago.
Dressed in a beige sari and holding a Louis Vuitton bag, she folded her hands in greeting as she entered Parliament from the main entrance. Her sudden appearance caused a flutter as she made her way to the Rajya Sabha.
Seated next to nominated member Anu Aga, Ms. Rekha watched the proceedings of the upper house for about half an hour and left just before the House adjourned for lunch.
Outside Parliament, she was mobbed by television and camera crews. Several questions were asked of her, but she stayed mum. After a while, some of the Parliament reporters asked their colleagues to leave her alone but television camerapersons followed her around even as she tried to reach her car. A lady accompanying her tried in vain to dissuade camerapersons from mobbing her.
Eventually Parliament security personnel formed a ring around her and helped her get to her car. Even while in her vehicle Ms. Rekha did not respond to media queries.
Incidentally, about the time that Ms. Rekha was in Rajya Sabha, starlet Rakhi Sawant, who has recently joined Ramdas Athawale-led RPI, was briefly seated in the visitor’s gallery watching proceedings.
Last week, members of Rajya Sabha had raised the issue of the prolonged absence of celebrity members like Ms. Rekha and Sachin Tendulkar from the House. >Ms. Rekha was nominated in 2012 and since then had attended the House only seven times. She had last attended the House on February 19, 2014.
On Monday Mr. Tendulkar sought the permission of the House for grant of leave for the entire Budget session, which was again criticised by members. He last attended the house was on December 13, 2013.
