By IANS,
New Delhi : Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M. Venkaiah Naidu, known for his witty one-liners, is not the kind to be intimidated by a pushy media. On the contrary, he loves to charm journalsits with his sense of humour.
Talking to reporters at the Parliament House Monday, Naidu reprimanded a journalist who intervened when he was making a point abourt the budget. When the reporter cornered him on an economic issue, Naidu said: “This is not the house. Let me complete what I am saying.”
When another journalist argued that he spoke like a quintessential politician, the BJP leader quipped: “Yes, I am a politician. And I am proud to be a politician.”
But soon after, he was laughing, explaining the “difference between FD (fiscal deficit) and RD (revenue deficit). Fiscal deficit is like you borrow money and build a house from it. Revenue deficit is you borrow, eat, drink and spend it all.”
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Zero hour guillotine
Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari had worked out the system under which the three-minute guillotine was imposed for members during zero hour.
Two LCD boards were installed at vantage points in the house displaying the MP’s name and the time left to him. With 30 seconds to go, the presiding officer would sound a bell and as the clock showed 00:00, most members would stop speaking – and if they continued to do so, the next speaker would be called.
Rajya Sabha deputy chairman K. Rahman Khan went a step further Monday when a Left MP continued to speak long after his allotted time. “What is the point of your continuing to speak? Nothing is going on record. Why don’t you understand? Nothing is going on record so what is the point your continuing to speak?” Khan said and the MP promptly sat down.
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Trinamool-Left pow-wow
Carrying their bitter feud in state politics to parliament, Trinamool MPs never miss a chance to pick on Left MPs. Whenever a Left party MP rises to ask questions or participate in discussions in the house, a comment or intervention can be expected from the Trinamool Congress MPs.
During zero hour in the Lok Sabha on Monday, veteran parliamentarian and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader from West Bengal Gurudas Dasgupta found himself the target of the Trinamool briage that comprises six ministers, including their firebrand leader and Left-baiter Mamata Banerjee.
When Gupta raised a submission on the Delhi Metro rail tragedy, Trinamool Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay rose from his seat and asked: “You left out Bengal (where too accidents had occurred during the construction of the Metro in the 1970s-80s)?”
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Sibal told to address Chair
Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibal is an erudite lawyer. But he often forgets that he, as a minister, should address the chair while replying to questions raised by MPs.
He repeated this pattern during question hour in the Lok Sabha Monday. Finally, Speaker Meira Kumar had to gently remind Sibal at least three times to “address the chair” during his replies to various questions raised by the MPs.