New Delhi: The INDIA bloc is set to move a no-confidence motion against Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar over alleged partisan conduct of the chair.
According to reports, there is consensus on this among all the parties of the INDIA bloc and so far over 50 MPs, including those from TMC, SP and AAP, have signed the motion under Article 67(B) of the Indian Constitution, which states that the Vice-President can be removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by an effective majority and agreed upon by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority.
Earlier, the Upper House saw multiple adjournments amid uproar by BJP members, who accused top Congress leaders of colluding with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country, with Dhankhar cautioning that “functioning of the deep state affects us more perniciously than the Covid disease”.
He also held a meeting in his chamber between the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition to break the impasse.
During the proceedings, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also accused the Rajya Sabha Chairman of being partial and the ruling party of ‘killing the democracy’.
“I have been in government, in opposition, as an MLA and also as and MP from 1977, but, in my entire political career, I have never seen such a biased chairman… He doesn’t let us speak but makes everyone (from the govt) speak, one by one…This is worse than an emergency!” Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh later told reporters.
DMK MP T Siva mentioned about 267 notice (suspension of business) given by the ruling party. “All this while the government was blaming the opposition parties that we were not allowing the house to function, but today, surprisingly, 267 notice (suspension of business) was given by the ruling party. This is something strange…,” he said.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh too joined the Opposition chorus. “The government is not letting the Rajya Sabha function. It is for the first time in Indian History that the ruling party is creating chaos and not letting the Parliament run. We want answers on the Adani issue, Sambhal violence, and bomb threats in schools, but the government is not ready to answer… If the BJP does not want the Parliament to run, then we will also raise slogans from tomorrow…”
Union MoS Finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad attributes the chaos to reluctance of Opposition to discuss the Soros issue. “Soros foundation is receiving help from India and he has a connection with Congress Rajya Sabha member Sonia Gandhi. All the MPs wanted to discuss this issue in Parliament. But the Opposition doesn’t want this matter to be discussed,” he said.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju added, “I think that few issues before the country shouldn’t be seen with political lenses. George Soros and his links – that have come to light – we do not see it as an issue relating Congress party, Rahul Gandhi. We should take the issue seriously – if it is related to anti-India forces. We do not see this as party politics… We have told Congress and other parties that we will discuss over the Constitution on December 13 and 14 (in Lok Sabha) and on December 16 and 17 (in Rajya Sabha)… I want to appeal to the leaders of Congress party and its workers that if even their leaders are found to have links with anti-India forces, they also should raise their voices…”
In August, INDIA bloc also considered submitting a notice to move an impeachment resolution against the Chairman after multiple adjournments marked by frequent run-ins between members of the Opposition parties and Dhankhar during the Budget Session of Parliament.
