Venkaiah Naidu breaks down, says Opposition destroyed all sacredness of Parliament

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu broke down as he spoke about yesterday's ruckus by Opposition MPs in the House. All sacredness of this House was destroyed yesterday when some members sat on the tables and some climbed on the tables, he said.

New Delhi: Deploring the ruckus created by the Opposition MPs on Tuesday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu got emotional on Wednesday and said he was distressed and could not sleep to witness the sacredness of the "temple of democracy" being destroyed.

Naidu went on to add that he struggled to find a provocation for the low in "the august house." "I rise in deep anguish to place on record the way this august House is being subjected to sacrilege and that too propelled by a sense of competition among some sections of the House since the commencement of this monsoon session," the Rajya Sabha chairman said.

"It was very sad indeed. I am deeply anguished and so must be the nation and well-wishers of our parliamentary democracy," Naidu observed. As chairman of the House, he said he was "scared to visualise the implications and consequences of such competitive acts of sacrilege in our temple of democracy".

Rajya Sabha witnessed a highly stormy session yesterday as Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa climbed on the table and threw the rule book at Rajya Sabha chair.

The Opposition parties have been disrupting proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and pressing for a discussion on Pegasus snooping row, farm laws, inflation and Covid crisis.

Vociferous sessions kicked off after Union Minister of IT Ashwini Vaishnaw's statement that the media report on Pegasus row was an attempt to malign Indian democracy.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Opposition for their unbecoming conduct in Parliament, including tearing papers and making "derogatory" remarks on the manner the bills have been passed and accused them of insulting the legislature and the Constitution.