WATCH: Just a week before lockdown, Venkaiah Naidu asked Rajya Sabha members not to wear face masks

A video has gone viral on social media in which Rajya Sabha chairman, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu can be seen asking the members to ‘go out and remove the masks’. This video is just a week before the country went into complete lockdown to control the coronavirus pandemic.

On March 18, Naidu said, “No masks are allowed inside the House...You all are senior members, you know the rules and regulations about the conduct of the House...Otherwise, you know what I will do.”

Here is the excerpt from the official transcript of Rajy Sabha’s proceedings of March 18 in which Rajya Sabha chairman, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu asks members to remove masks :

MR CHAIRMAN: No masks are allowed inside the House. Please remove; all the Members, please. You are all senior Members and you know the rules, regulations about the conduct of the House. Please. Otherwise, you know what I will do.

MR CHAIRMAN: Members, I have already made an appeal that the Members who are wearing masks, may please go and remove it. Otherwise, it is difficult to conduct the House. And, then people will start doing other things also. ...(Interruptions)...