New Delhi: A day after the INDIA bloc leaders submitted a notice for the removal of vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar for “conducting the Upper House in a partisan manner”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused him of working as the government spokesperson in the Rajya Sabha. The Opposition leaders said that Mr Dhankhar’s conduct has "harmed the country's dignity" and prompted them to move a notice for his removal. The BJP hit back, calling the notice a disrespect to farmers and the Jaat community.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Mr Kharge said that the biggest reason behind the disruption in the Parliament's Upper House has been the Rajya Sabha Chairman himself and added that his conduct in the House has harmed the country's dignity.
The Congress chief said that he has nothing against Mr Dhankhar, but the Rajya Sabha Chairman left us with no option but to go ahead with notice for his removal.
"Since 1952, there has been no resolution brought to remove the vice-president as they have always been unbiased and beyond politics. They always ran the House as per the rules. But today we are forced to say politics is happening in Parliament... We are disappointed that in the 75th year of Independence, biased behaviour forced us to bring a no-confidence motion," Mr Kharge said during the INDIA bloc press conference in the Constitution Club.
"The vice-president sometimes praises the government and sometimes calls himself 'Eklavya' of RSS. He makes objectionable comments on leaders... I want to say that the Chairman does not allow discussions on the Opposition's issues in a planned manner. We feel that he has become the spokesperson of the government," the Congress leader said.
"The Rajya Sabha Chairman's conduct has been contrary to the post's dignity. He has targeted the Opposition leaders, not giving them the chance to speak, while often praising the government," Mr Kharge said.
Talking about the Rajya Sabha proceedings, the Congress chief said, "The Chairman acts like a school headmaster, giving pravachan (sermons) to experienced Opposition leaders, stopping them from speaking."
Terming the no-confidence motion against Mr Dhankhar as “extremely unfortunate,” the BJP claimed the Congress’s “disregard for the Constitution has become increasingly clear,” while also citing how the Opposition party and its allies have filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the EC and the EVMs.
The BJP claimed that the no-confidence motion has been moved by the Congress and its allies against the “kisan putra” and a “Jaat” despite knowing that they do not have the numbers to get it passed.
“It is all a diversionary tactic to divert the attention from the link between the Gandhi family and US billionaire George Soros and their anti-India alliance… They (the Congress) have never respected the (Rajya Sabha) Chairman…this no-confidence motion is a disrespect of farmers and the Jaat community,” said BJP MP Sambit Patra.