The dispersion of MPs in both houses was succinctly summed up by Rajya Sabha Speaker Venkaiah Naidu, who pointed out that people who were never elected to Lok Sabha were sitting in the chamber and the same was true of several lower house MPs who they met in the house of the elderly. Since the MPs were also sitting in the visitor galleries, Naidu asked them to raise their hands to be detected when called to speak, even as President Om Birla noted the large attendance despite the pandemic.
While some older adults chose not to participate, veterans such as Mulayam Singh Yadav and Farooq Abdullah appeared, though the elderly patriarch Samajwadi needed help moving. Another veteran, JMM leader Shibu Soren, was sworn in as Rajya Sabha’s deputy, and Naidu encouraged Dishom Guru to speak out loud while a mask muffled his voice. Given the task of organizing the complex seats, Naidu and Birla seemed pleased that the proceedings began with a minimum of fuss and interruption.
Decorum can be put to the test as contentious issues and bills are addressed, but on the first day presidents used the Covid-19 rule of speaking seated, rather than standing up, to good effect to keep MPs and leaders nailed to their places. Naidu could be heard telling Jairam Ramesh of Congress not to move through the House and this could well put a damper on the usual discussions that take place in the room.
Despite the Center’s warning to parties that MPs over 65 could avoid attending, most arrived on time with the attendance of 359’s Lok Sabha, even more than on some normal days. The seating arrangement saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone on the two-seat bench to the right of Speaker and Deputy House Leader Rajnath Singh, who generally shares the bench, moving to the next chair. Minister of textiles Smriti Irani, which has a front row seat, was one row back. The front seats of the opposition seats were filled by TR Baalu from DMK and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Congress.
“The chambers of the two Houses and the galleries, where the members sit, will be considered as part of the Lok Sabha when the proceedings of the House begin,” Birla said.
Members of the opposition protested the suspension of Question Time, but left it at that. Some members, such as Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee, wore face shields in addition to masks. There were also some covering their faces with “gamchhas” (scarves).
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