In a fiery exchange within the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar admonished Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of repeatedly disrespecting the Chair.
"You (Kharge) cannot continually disparage the chair. You cannot consistently show disrespect... You rise abruptly and speak without comprehending my words," a visibly irate Dhankhar asserted.
"Never before in the history of our country's parliamentary democracy and Rajya Sabha proceedings has there been such disregard for the chair as exhibited by you... It's time for introspection... Your dignity has been repeatedly undermined... I have always endeavored to safeguard your dignity," the Rajya Sabha Chairperson further remarked.
These remarks emerged amid a sharp verbal duel between Dhankhar and Kharge, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
During the session, Dhankhar also reprimanded Congress's Jairam Ramesh as he attempted to interject.
"You are so intelligent, so talented, so capable that you should promptly replace Kharge. In essence, you are performing his role, undermining him," Dhankhar commented.
In response to the Vice President's comments, Kharge, gesturing towards Sonia Gandhi, retorted, "The person who shaped me is seated here. No one like Jairam Ramesh can shape me."
"The varna system is still ingrained in your mind. This is why you deem Ramesh as intelligent and me as unintelligent," Kharge, a Dalit leader, added.
Last week, Dhankhar expressed dismay over Kharge's act of entering the Well of the House during an opposition protest, highlighting it as a first-time breach of decorum by a Leader of the Opposition.
However, the two leaders shared lighter moments on Monday.
During the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, as Kharge rose to speak, he mentioned his difficulty in standing due to knee pain. Dhankhar promptly suggested, "You may address the House while seated."
Kharge responded, stating that a seated speech lacks the impact of one delivered standing. Dhankhar chuckled in agreement, noting that sitting speeches lack the "jazba" (passion).
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