New Delhi: Several Opposition parties Wednesday said Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s “partisan” conduct prompted them to move a notice for his removal as vice president and accused him of being the “biggest disrupter” whose conduct in the House has harmed the country’s dignity.
Alleging that politics has taken precedence over rules in the Upper House of Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the chairman’s conduct has been contrary to the dignity of the high post he holds.
Addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club here, Kharge alleged that Dhankhar is working as a government spokesperson and acting like a school headmaster, often sermonising experienced opposition leaders and preventing them from speaking in the House.
He also claimed that Dhankhar himself is responsible for the disruptions in the House, adding that the chairman openly encourages and provokes the members of the treasury benches to make outrageous comments against the opposition, undermining the dignity of the House.
“The Rajya Sabha chairman’s conduct has been contrary to the dignity of the post he holds. He targets opposition leaders and often praises the government,” Kharge said.
“Politics has taken precedence over rules in the Rajya Sabha and the chairman has indulged in partisan behaviour,” he alleged.
“The Rajya Sabha chairman’s conduct in the House has harmed the country’s dignity,” Kharge also alleged.
“We have no hesitation in saying that the biggest disrupter in the Rajya Sabha is the chairman himself,” he said, adding, “His loyalty is towards the ruling party, instead of the Constitution and constitutional traditions. We can see that he is acting as a government spokesperson for the sake of his next promotion.”
The Congress chief said since 1952, no resolution has been brought against the vice president under Article 67 of the Constitution as those who held the post previously never indulged in politics and remained unbiased.
“The notice for the Rajya Sabha chairman’s removal is not about personal grievances or political battles. We are fed up with his behaviour and partiality. That is why we have given the notice for his removal,” he said.
“This (behaviour) is not just a breach of protocol but a betrayal of the Constitution and the people of India,” Kharge added.
He said the opposition parties have nothing against Dhankhar, “but he left us with no option but to go ahead with the notice for his removal”.
“We appeal to the people of India to understand that this notice has been filed after thorough consideration and deliberations, with the sole purpose of safeguarding the Constitution and protecting the integrity of our parliamentary democracy,” Kharge said.
Kharge was backed by other opposition leaders, who said they have never witnessed such partisan behaviour from the chairman.
DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said there is a blatant attack on the country’s democracy in Parliament by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and added that opposition members, including the leader of opposition, is not allowed to raise issues.
“Ruling party members are given the floor whenever they wish to speak, we are never given the floor,” Siva said.
He also slammed Dhankhar for making “personal remarks” against opposition leaders.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Nadimul Haque said he agrees with the leader of opposition.
“We are not allowed to express ourselves in the Rajya Sabha,” Haque said.
“This is not a fight against an individual, this is a fight to protect one of India’s most important institutions — Parliament,” he added.
Javed Ali Khan of the Samajwadi Party (SP) said the opposition has been totally made invisible in the Rajya Sabha.
“We hear it so often — nothing will go on record…. As soon as an opposition leader says something, the chair directs that it will not go on record,” he said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha also said the opposition has been “invisibilised” in Parliament.
“This is not about an individual, it is about reinstating rules and restoring the core principles of parliamentary democracy,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “It seems that the chairman is not running Parliament but a circus. He eats up the time by speaking himself.”
“There is a blatant attack on democracy by the ruling party in Parliament. In parliamentary democracy, the leader of the House and the leader of opposition are two pillars and whenever the LoP stands up to speak, the floor is immediately given to the opposition leader and no one will speak,” Siva said.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and John Brittas of the CPI(M), Sarfaraz Ahmad of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Fouzia Khan of the NCP (SP) and TMC’s Sagarika Ghose, among others, were present on the dais at the press conference.
While no leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were present, Congress’s Jairam Ramesh said they had to skip the press conference as they had an appointment at the Election Commission.
PTI
