The Rajya Sabha on Thursday paid tributes to former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez by observing a minute's silence in his memory.
As soon as the house met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari asked members to pay their tributes to the charismatic leader, who died of cancer in a military hospital in Caracas on Tuesday.

He said Chavez's rule strengthened relations between India and Venezuela.

The house observed a minute's silence in his memory before proceeding with question hour.