I don’t want to sit here: Najma leaves in a huff

The incident came as a climax to the visible tension in the House between Congress members and the Deputy Chairperson since past two days. ‘‘I want to adjourn the House and I don’t think I want to sit here,’’ an angry Heptulla said, leaving the members wondering what to do next. It took some time for officials to tell members that House was adjourned till Monday.

Najma was provoked when Kapil Sibal objected to her permitting BJP member L.M. Singhvi to speak during a heated discussion on a private members resolution. Pointing at treasury benches, Sibal said: ‘‘After you have allowed all of them to speak, please think about me also.’’

A furious Najma said: ‘‘This is highly objectionable. This is an insinuation against the chair.’’ Before leaving the House she told Sibal: ‘‘This is your habit…You can argue before a judge and not here before the chair.’’

Earlier in the day, the Deputy Chairperson had to clarify her position as a neutral judge several times. Particularly on the issue of I&B Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s remarks against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The Congress was pressing the chair to expunge the remarks while Najma repeatedly said she was only empowered to ‘‘delete objectionable, unparliamentary and derogatory words’’.

On Wednesday, Najma had taken strong objection to heckling from Congress benches while she was explaining her helplessness in the dispute over Prasad’s remarks. Then she had warned the members against pointing fingers at the chair.

Disturbed RS members said Najma’s behaviour was unprecedented in the history of the House of Elders. Sources said Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat would have to mediate and sort out the strained relations between the Deputy Chairperson and the Congress.

Najma Heptulla later told The Indian Express that veiled insinuations against the chair were nothing new. ‘‘Even during V.P. Singh’s time, they (Congress) would accuse me of taking sides.’’