NEW DELHI: It is not unusual for the ruling party to seek short duration discussions and move calling attention notices and it was no different under previous governments, sources said in response to allegations that Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu denied opposition parties “adequate” space for debate in the upper House.

Citing previous instances, coinciding with the term of the UPA-II government, official sources said Congress had also moved such notices when it was in power and that former Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari had admitted them. Some opposition parties are considering registering their protest to the Rajya Sabha chairman in writing.

While the matter is still believed to be under consideration and no letter has been dispatched just yet, opposition sources indicated that there was a broad consensus over the opposition being “unfairly” denied opportunity to raise relevant issues in the House.

Official sources, however, said, in the ten year period between August 2007 and 2017 — seven of which had Congress at the helm of affairs — then Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari had admitted two Calling Attention Notices in Congress’ name in 2010 and 2011.

