February 10, 2023
Jawhar Sircar, on February 10, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha, raising the issue of partiality of Rajya Sabha TV in its live telecast of the House proceedings
Sir, I would, with total honour to the Chair, submit that the Chair may not undertake an act that may not be sustainable. I would submit that there are words ‘persistently’ and ‘wilfully obstructing’. This does not make any provision for an ex post facto judgement. Twitter handle is given at a much later time outside the House. How does that mention in the Twitter come in with retrospective effect to disrupt the House? I am not advocating it, but these are the questions which may be raised. We do not want the ruling of the Chair to be questioned in any forum of law. That is my first submission. My second submission is these two elements, ‘persistently’ and ‘wilfully obstructing with retrospective effect’, that I have mentioned, we beseech upon you to ensure a broad degree of fairness that agitation, however fair, was not covered at all. This is censorship.
