“No begging please!” This was Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu’s directive to ministers today, asking them not to use the term ‘beg’ while tabling the listed official papers in the House. Normally, the ministers say “I beg to lay the papers ... listed against my name in today’s order paper.”
Naidu had on the opening day of the winter session advised the ministers and members to shed the “imperial mindset” of using “I beg to lay...” the papers in the House. He had said that instead they should say “I rise to present the papers listed against my name...” However, today when Minister of State for Law and Justice P P Chaudhary used the term “beg” while laying papers, Naidu reminded him of the advise.
“No begging please,” Naidu told Chaudhary. He said probably Chaudhary was not present when he had made the suggestion earlier and advised him to avoid using the word “I beg” while laying the papers.
“Just rise to say you are laying papers,” he told him and added “it would be good if begging word is avoided.” No minister or member has used the word since Naidu’s advise on December 15.
Chaudhary took the cue and did not use the word when he was called to lay a different set of papers shortly later. During the paper tabling process, Naidu also chided members for speaking while seated.
He then went about conducting the Zero Hour as a strict headmaster reminding members not to deviate from their topics. Mentioning an incident during Question Hour yesterday when B K Hariprasad of Congress used certain phrases, Naidu said he has decided to close the matter after the member met him this morning and said his remarks were made on the spur of the moment and he held the Chair in high esteem.
Incidentally, Hariprasad’s remarks find no mention in the official record of the proceedings of yesterday.
