New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajya Sabha member, Raghav Chadha, on Friday greeted Harivansh on beginning his third term as the Deputy Chairman of the Upper House.

"As the recently removed Deputy Leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak and to congratulate Harivansh Ji on beginning his third innings as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha," Chadha said.

"In his previous term, my personal equation with Harivansh Ji was 'khatta-meetha', but I hope and will try that in this new term, it becomes only 'meetha-meetha'," he added.

He said the relation, at times, turned sour when we deviated from topics and got scolded by the Rajya Sabha Chairman and sweet when we remained focused in our statements and on the issue being discussed.

"I am sure Harivansh ji's vast experience will greatly benefit the functioning of the House and help uphold its dignity, decorum & democratic traditions," Chadha said on social media platform X.

The AAP MP requested the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman to allow speakers take a few seconds more to conclude their speeches after the ringing of bell in the Upper House of Parliament.

"I associate myself with the sentiment of the entire House in welcoming Harivnash ji and congratulating him for becoming the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha," Chadha said.

The AAP MP also thanked Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan for reworking the Zero Hour arrangement in such a manner that up to 20-22 speakers get time to put forward their views.

"Earlier, only up to five members were getting the opportunity to speak during Zero Hour. So, on behalf of the ruling and Opposition benches I wish to thank you for allowing more and more members to make optimum use of the Zero Hour," Chadha said.

His remarks came two days after the AAP's new Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha, Ashok Mittal, faced Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids.

On April 15, the ED conducted searches on the premises of Mittal and the educational institutions promoted by him and his family in Haryana and Punjab, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The raids come amid heightened political tensions between the ruling AAP in Punjab and the Central government, with Opposition leaders alleging selective targeting by central investigative agencies.

--IANS

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