Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who presided over the Rajya Sabha session on Thursday, has addressed allegations of attempting to "humiliate" Pune MP Dr. Medha Vishram Kulkarni for speaking in Marathi instead of English. The allegations were made by @MrSinha_, a 'Hindu rights activist' who criticised Chaturvedi for allegedly showing bias against Marathi speakers.
Chaturvedi took to X to refute these claims and said that Dr. Kulkarni spoke in Marathi without interruption. She claimed that Dr Kulkarni was repeatedly asked to sit down by her own ally, which she said was an attempt to show disrespect towards the chair. Chaturvedi also criticised @MrSinha_ for lacking an understanding of parliamentary procedures, advising him to review the rules of the Rajya Sabha.
In her post on X, Chaturvedi wrote, "This pawpaw champ bhakt is truly having a meltdown of the worst kind. Dr. Medha Kulkarni and Rajni Patil ji both spoke in Marathi and without interruption, barring when her own ally sitting in the front row had a hissy fit and asked her to sit down multiple times so that he could be disrespectful to the chair. Also paw paw champ, understand parliamentary proceedings in the RS and the rule book. Cry some more."
@MrSinha_ had earlier criticised Chaturvedi, questioning her respect for Marathi as a language and accusing her of being disrespectful towards the Pune MP.
“Uddhav Thackeray's RS MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tried to humiliate the MP from Pune, Maharashtra because she was speaking in Marathi but not her "posh" language English? She kept shouting at her... What does she think of herself? And what happened to UT's Marathi ashmita?” @MrSinha_
Meanwhile, many wondered how Chaturvedi was made to preside over the Rajya Sabha, a chair on which we usually see the Vice President of India.
As per the rules of the Parliament, in the absence of the Vice President of India, who serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the responsibility of presiding over sessions falls to the Deputy Chairman or a panel of Voice Chairpersons.
Chaturvedi, a member of this panel, was tasked with the role during the session. Her varied approach to presiding, which included moments of stern reprimand and visible enthusiasm, has been noted by many on social media.
