Chair malfunction prompts Rajya Sabha adjournment
In the midway through zero hours in Rajya Sabha a malfunctioning chair prompted an adjournment on Thursday.
A malfunctioning chair prompted an adjournment of the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
It happened midway through zero hour as Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan sat down abruptly after rising to his feet in an attempt to soothe frayed tempers while Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) member Brinda Karat was castigating the activities of what she termed Hindu fundamentalist organisations.
As Rahman sat down, the ornate speaker's chair pitched forward and he had to thrust his hands onto the desk in front of him to maintain his balance, even as an attendant attempted to push the chair back.
As the pandemonium continued, Rahman got up again and then sat down - only for the chair to pitch forward again.
"The house is adjourned for 10 minutes," he declared and walked into the speaker's chamber. It was then 12.32 pm and for the next few minutes, various parliamentary staffers, including Rajya Sabha secretary general VK Agnihotri attempted to wrestle with the problem without success.
In the midst of this, Bharatiya Janata Party MP SS Ahluwalia, who had missed out on all the action, strode out of the speaker's chamber, glanced briefly at all the action around the chair and declared: "Aarey, yeh kursi to toot gayi (Hey, this chair is broken)."
As everyone waited with eager anticipation, Rahman strode in at 12.45 pm - three minutes past time - to announce that the house was adjourned for half an hour.
"Sir, make it till 2 pm (when the house normally reassembles after lunch)," many members pleaded.
"Ok, the house is adjourned till 1.30," Rahman declared.
During the emergency, there was much controversy over a film titled "Kissa Kursi Ka" that dealt with the manifold ways politicians adopt to stay in power.
Thursday's episode was quite a twist in the tale!