New Delhi, Jul 23 (IANS): Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said he was "deeply distressed" by the happenings in the Rajya Sabha and added that the snatching and tearing of paper is a clear assault on democracy.
As the House proceedings began Naidu said, "I am deeply distressed by the course of events in the House. Unfortunately proceedings of the House hit a new low with papers being snatched and torn into pieces. Such actions are a clear assault on our Parliamentary democracy".
He was commenting on the Thursday incident when IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was reading a statement on the Pegasus snooping row and Trinamool Congress MPs snatched the report from his hands and tore it into pieces on the floor of the Rajya Sabha.
Journalist-turned-MP Swapan Dasgupta said: "Some of the TMC MPs took the paper from the hands of the Minister and tore it. This is unacceptable."