Rajya Sabha members condemn lawmaker for Facebook post against Venkaiah Naidu

Cutting across party lines, members in the Rajya Sabha on Friday condemned an unnamed lawmaker for posting on Facebook comments critical of chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, and demanded an apology from him.

Raising the issue, Naresh Agarwal (SP) said all members had full faith in the Chair and one MP posting on Facebook comments alleging bias in his conduct of proceedings of the House, were unwarranted and unparliamentary.

Without naming the MP, he demanded that the member concerned should tender an apology to the Chairman.

Bhupender Yadav (BJP) said there can be political differences but posting such comments on social media was an insult to the Chair.

Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said such an act is unparliamentary and "we condemn it."

Derek O'Brien (TMC) said the Chair gives all members enough opportunity and there is no necessity of going to any social media.

None of the MPs named the member who had made the remarks on Facebook.

Naidu was in the Chair when the matter was raised but he did not make any comment.