Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, accusing him of acting as a spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rather than upholding the dignity of the Rajya Sabha.
His comments came amid the INDIA bloc’s move to submit a notice for a no-confidence motion seeking Dhankhar’s removal as Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Kharge, addressing a press conference, alleged that Dhankhar’s actions had “damaged the dignity of the country” and that the Chairman’s “fidelity” lay with the ruling party instead of the Constitution and constitutional tradition.
"The biggest reason for disruptions in Rajya Sabha is the Chairman itself," Kharge said.
"He is working as a spokesperson of the government for his next promotion," he added.
Kharge criticised Dhankhar for allegedly stifling opposition discussions.
“From the opposition side, whenever important issues are raised as per rules, the Chairman doesn't allow a discussion in a planned way. Time and again, opposition leaders are stopped from speaking,” he said.
According to Kharge, the Chairman's approach is more political than procedural.
The Congress leader also pointed out that no resolution to remove a Vice President had been brought since 1952, as Vice Presidents were traditionally seen as "unbiased and beyond politics" and ran the House in accordance with established rules.
“But, today, there is more politics than rules in the House,” he remarked.
Kharge further likened Dhankhar’s conduct to that of a “headmaster,” stating, “The Rajya Sabha Chairman does schooling like a headmaster.”
He added that the INDIA bloc had been forced to move the no-confidence motion due to the Chairman’s alleged partisan behaviour. "We have no personal enmity or political fight with him.
We want to tell the countrymen that we have taken this step to safeguard democracy, the Constitution, and after giving it a lot of thought," Kharge concluded.
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