Cornered by the Opposition MPs for extending the session of the Rajya Sabha “without taking the sense of the House”, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), comprising members of all parties, had agreed to extend the session by a day.
Mr. Harivansh said that on January 8, the Chairman informed the BAC about extending the session.
“Request was received from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs for extending the sitting of the Rajya Sabha by one day and accordingly scheduling a sitting on Wednesday, that is, 9th of January. It is clear that the decision was taken by the Chairman along with other members of the House,” the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha said.
He said that while adjourning the House on January 8 he announced that it was being done so till “11 a.m. on January 9.” “This implied that the House was being extended by a day. If you think this is a mistake, then it’s my personal mistake,” Mr. Harivansh said.
