Watch: A week before lockdown, Venkaiah Naidu had asked Rajya Sabha members not to wear face masks
The vice-president, who is the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, threatened action against the MPs if they refused.
March 2020, opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha were wearing masks to prevent Covid19 and the Chairperson, Vice President @MVenkaiahNaidu asked them to remove it, saying it's not allowed & threatened of an action.
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) May 11, 2020
Just imagine! This was Govt's stand 6 days before lockdown. No masks!🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/dKltM3n63w
A week before India went into complete lockdown in an attempt to control the coronavirus pandemic, a few members of Rajya Sabha were asked to remove face masks that they wore as a precaution against the disease. A video of the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, telling the members to “go out and remove the masks” on March 18 is being circulated on social media.
Naidu said, “No masks are allowed inside the House...You all are senior members, you know the rules and regulations about the conduct of the House...Otherwise, you know what I will do.”
Here are two excerpts from the official transcript of the day’s proceedings:
MR CHAIRMAN: No masks are allowed inside the House. Please remove; all the Members, please. You are all senior Members and you know the rules, regulations about the conduct of the House. Please. Otherwise, you know what I will do.
MR CHAIRMAN: Members, I have already made an appeal that the Members who are wearing masks, may please go and remove it. Otherwise, it is difficult to conduct the House. And, then people will start doing other things also. ...(Interruptions)...