The conduct of law-makers within the “sanctified” portals of legislatures once again came into question on Wednesday with an MP trying to snatch papers from the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General, an MLA slapping a marshal in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly and agitated members taking off their kurtas during the Governor’s address to the two houses of Uttar Pradesh.
The three incidents came close on the heels of the pepper-spray incident in the Lok Sabha last Thursday which was seen widely as a new low in parliamentary behaviour.
In the Rajya Sabha, TDP member C.M. Ramesh tried to snatch The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2014, from the Secretary-General Shumsher K. Sheriff as he was informing the House about the draft legislation received from the Lok Sabha.
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Stating that the “staff should not be attacked,” Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the House. When the House convened again, the Chair said Mr. Ramesh’s behaviour was “highly deplorable” and amounted to a breach of privilege. With the member apologising, the matter was put to rest.
In J&K, a Peoples Democratic Party legislator Syed Bashir slapped a marshal while he was being physically removed from the House for shouting slogans in the Well.
Uttar Pradesh Governor B.L. Joshi gave up addressing the joint sitting of the bicameral legislature when members of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) disrupted proceedings.
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While BSP members climbed on their benches with banners and shouted slogans, two RLD legislators took off their kurtas; both on farmers issues.