New Military-style Uniform of RS Marshals to be Reviewed After Oppn Members, Veterans Object

A day after the Rajya Sabha introduced a new military style uniform for its marshals, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said the house secretariat will revisit the issue in the light of objections raised by both politicians and retired military officials.

On the first day of the Winter Session the two marshals, who stand next to the Chair, were seen in military-style uniform. Their earlier white bandhgala Indian attire with a safa has been replaced by a navy blue-coloured uniform with a peak cap, military-like stripes and stars on the shoulders with golden tassle attached on one side.

“Secretariat of the Rajya Sabha after considering various suggestions has come out with a new dress code for marshals,” Venkaiah Naidu said as the House met on Tuesday morning. “We have received some observations by some political as well as from well-meaning people. So I've decided to ask the RS secretariat to revisit the issue and come to a decision,” he said before adjourning the House amid sloganeering by members of the Opposition parties.

The issue was first raised in the Parliament on Monday by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh who asked Naidu if he was imposing the Martial Law. Vice President Vankiah Naidu, who was in the chair had, however, dismissed the objection and said, "Don't raise insignificant queries at such a significant hour."

Later in the day, former Indian Army chief Ved Malik took to social media to object to the new uniform of Rajya Sabha marshals, and called it "illegal and a security hazard'. Tagging Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Rajnath Singh in his tweet, Malik said he hoped that the defence minister would "take early action".

Sources said, the need for changing the uniform of the marshals was felt about six months ago in order to give them an identity distinct from the watch and ward staff. "Marshals are often confused with the other staff, who are there on the floor of the house to assist the members. There is a marshal and a deputy marshal next to the chair who point out the procedure and help the chairman run the house," the source said.

"The final design is in-house, the marshals themselves finalised it but yes we did consult NID," an official had said.