Don't use His Excellency to address the Chair: Venkaiah Naidu

Naidu's suggestion came during the Zero Hour when Janata Dal-United (JD-U) member Harvansh was laying papers in the House.

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday urged the members not to address the Chair as "His Excellency" and instead use "Honourable Chairman" or "Vice President". Naidu's suggestion came during the Zero Hour when Janata Dal-United (JD-U) member Harvansh was laying papers in the House. "I want to tell all the members. I have seen because the chair of Rajya Sabha holds the dual responsibilities of Chairman and the Vice President of India. I often find it embarrassing when the members and even others call the Vice President 'His Excellency'. "I would request and suggest all the members and even others that they should address the Chair as 'Honourable Chairman' or 'Vice President'," Naidu added. "There is no need to use such phrases in future." Earlier, during the Winter Session of Parliament, Naidu had urged the members to stop saying: "I beg to..." before laying papers on the table. Normally, ministers say: "I beg to lay on the table of the House papers listed under my name". Naidu asked the ministers and other members of the House to do away with such colonial lexicon. "Just say, I rise to lay the papers or simply, I lay the papers on the table of the House," Naidu had said.