NEW DELHI: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has had several run-ins with the opposition leaders during the ongoing Budget session, was at the centre of another fiery faceoff in Rajya Sabha on Friday. An enraged Dhankhar took Jaya Bachchan head on after the Samajwadi Party MP objected to the “tone” of Rajya Sabha Chairman against opposition members.The opposition members were seeking an apology from BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari over his ‘parivarvaad’ taunt against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge made on August 1.
“I Jaya Amitabh Bachchan want to say, I am an artist. I understand body language and expressions. Forgive me but your tone is not acceptable. We are colleagues, Sir. You may be sitting in the Chair, and I remember when I went to school … ,” the SP MP said triggering a storm.
A visibly angry Dhankhar interrupted Jaya’s speech and said: “Enough of it … You may be anybody, you may be a celebrity, but you have to understand the decorum … .”
“Jayaji, you have earned a great reputation. (But) you know the actor is subject to the director… you have not seen what I have seen from here (the Chair). Every day… I don’t want to repeat, I don’t want a schooling. I am a person who has gone out of the way … and you say ‘my tone’?” “No… no… enough of this. No. You can’t have it. No…” Dhankhar shouted firmly.
When an Opposition party member raised objection to how Dhankhar could call Bachchan a celebrity when she was a senior Member of Parliament, the Chairman retorted: “(Does) a senior member of Parliament has a licence to run down the reputation of the Chair … to question the tone and tenor?” Dhankhar then went on to say that he cannot be a party to the House being converted into an “epicentre of disturbance”.
‘NDA ‘s censure motion a badge of honour ‘
While the opposition accused Dhankhar of being partisan and walked out of the House led by former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, ruling NDA sought a resolution condemning the “charges” of Jaya Bachchan against Jagdeep Dhankhar.
“Today’s incident is highly condemnable. I urge the House to pass a resolution condemning this. The opposition’s behaviour has been extremely unparliamentary, undisciplined, and disrespectful. The opposition has become issue-less in terms of discussion, and undignified behaviour has become their habit,” JP Nadda said.
However, the deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, made light of the NDA move and said the censure motion against the opposition is a badge of honour. “The NDA has brought a censure motion against the opposition. It is a badge of honour for us. We will keep fighting for the poor and common people of this country. This censure motion is an award for the entire opposition. We (opposition) will fight this dictatorship and will struggle against the NDA,” Pramod Tiwari said.
Tiwari alleged that Jagdeep Dhankhar has not taken any action against Ganshyam Tiwari even after the opposition had given a complaint in writing and added the opposition’s voice is being muzzled inside the House.
“There are parliamentarians who have an experience of 50 years. However, they are not able to talk and raise the people’s issues as the mic is switched off consistently by the Chairman. Everyone has seen what is being done to Jaya Bachchan. The Chairman does not allow her to speak. She is a veteran and is in Rajya Sabha for the 4 or 5th time,” Tiwari said.
Congress MP Ajay Maken said, “Opposition parties feel the Chairman’s approach is partisan. Rajya Sabha is a House that sets parameters for other legislatures. In that House, the Chairman should not be seen as partisan. The Congress alone does not feel that way, all opposition parties feel his behaviour is partial towards one side.”
‘We are not school children … ‘
Jaya Bachchan, meanwhile, questioned why Kharge was not allowed to speak by the Chairman.
“We are not school children, some of us are senior citizens. I was upset with the tone and especially when leader of opposition stood up to speak, he had switched off the mic. How can you do this? This is against the tradition. You have to allow the leader,” Jaya told reporters.
She also alleged that members sitting in the Treasury benches use unparliamentary words. “‘You are a nuisance’, ‘Buddhiheen’ (stupid), all these words are also spoken by Treasury benches,” she alleged.
‘Opposition considering resolution to remove Dhankhar’
The opposition is considering submitting a notice for moving a resolution to remove the Vice-President from his office, news agency PTI said quoting sources. The timing of the notice is to be discussed and decided and though the resolution may not go through it would be a statement to highlight the Chair’s “blatantly and consistently partisan” approach.
According to Article 67(b) of the Constitution, “Vice-President may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council and agreed to by the House of the People; but no resolution for the purpose of this clause shall be moved unless at least fourteen days’ notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution.”
Opposition sources said 87 members have signed on the proposal to initiate action against Dhankhar.
A source said around two days ago, leader of house JP Nadda was informally informed that the opposition is considering submitting a motion to remove Dhankhar.
Dhankhar vs Kharge over Vinesh Phogat
On Wednesday, Dhankhar had accused opposition of “challenging” the authority of the Chair. This was after Kharge was denied permission to speak on the issue of wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after being found overweight ahead of her 50kg final match.
During the discussion on Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2024 and Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No 3) Bill, 2024, the opposition members kept sloganeering demanding justice for Phogat but Dhankhar said nothing would go on record.
Kharge said he wanted to speak with the Chair’s permission on an issue to which Dhankhar responded that he had declined the permission and the debate would continue.
Dhankhar said that LoP wanted the Chair to interrupt the debate without taking recourse to any rule and shared his message seeking permission to take the floor without spelling out the issue.
After the members walked out, Dhankhar said their act was “indecorous, undignified, challenging the authority of Chair”.
“An LoP, an important fulcrum in Parliamentary democracy … so painful. I have no words to take exception to such kind of conduct,” Dhankhar said.
War of words between Dhankhar and Kharge
In July, during the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, a war of words erupted between Dhankhar and Kharge after the former sarcastically told Congress member Jairam Ramesh to take the latter’s post of LoP. Kharge, who is a Dalit, said Dhankhar was bringing in the “Varna” (caste) system by calling Ramesh “intelligent and gifted”, and by implication labelling him “dull”. An agitated Dhankhar then rapped Kharge for “twisting” his remarks.
(With inputs from agencies)
“I Jaya Amitabh Bachchan want to say, I am an artist. I understand body language and expressions. Forgive me but your tone is not acceptable. We are colleagues, Sir. You may be sitting in the Chair, and I remember when I went to school … ,” the SP MP said triggering a storm.
A visibly angry Dhankhar interrupted Jaya’s speech and said: “Enough of it … You may be anybody, you may be a celebrity, but you have to understand the decorum … .”
“Jayaji, you have earned a great reputation. (But) you know the actor is subject to the director… you have not seen what I have seen from here (the Chair). Every day… I don’t want to repeat, I don’t want a schooling. I am a person who has gone out of the way … and you say ‘my tone’?” “No… no… enough of this. No. You can’t have it. No…” Dhankhar shouted firmly.
When an Opposition party member raised objection to how Dhankhar could call Bachchan a celebrity when she was a senior Member of Parliament, the Chairman retorted: “(Does) a senior member of Parliament has a licence to run down the reputation of the Chair … to question the tone and tenor?” Dhankhar then went on to say that he cannot be a party to the House being converted into an “epicentre of disturbance”.
‘NDA ‘s censure motion a badge of honour ‘
While the opposition accused Dhankhar of being partisan and walked out of the House led by former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, ruling NDA sought a resolution condemning the “charges” of Jaya Bachchan against Jagdeep Dhankhar.
“Today’s incident is highly condemnable. I urge the House to pass a resolution condemning this. The opposition’s behaviour has been extremely unparliamentary, undisciplined, and disrespectful. The opposition has become issue-less in terms of discussion, and undignified behaviour has become their habit,” JP Nadda said.
However, the deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, made light of the NDA move and said the censure motion against the opposition is a badge of honour. “The NDA has brought a censure motion against the opposition. It is a badge of honour for us. We will keep fighting for the poor and common people of this country. This censure motion is an award for the entire opposition. We (opposition) will fight this dictatorship and will struggle against the NDA,” Pramod Tiwari said.
Tiwari alleged that Jagdeep Dhankhar has not taken any action against Ganshyam Tiwari even after the opposition had given a complaint in writing and added the opposition’s voice is being muzzled inside the House.
“There are parliamentarians who have an experience of 50 years. However, they are not able to talk and raise the people’s issues as the mic is switched off consistently by the Chairman. Everyone has seen what is being done to Jaya Bachchan. The Chairman does not allow her to speak. She is a veteran and is in Rajya Sabha for the 4 or 5th time,” Tiwari said.
Congress MP Ajay Maken said, “Opposition parties feel the Chairman’s approach is partisan. Rajya Sabha is a House that sets parameters for other legislatures. In that House, the Chairman should not be seen as partisan. The Congress alone does not feel that way, all opposition parties feel his behaviour is partial towards one side.”
‘We are not school children … ‘
Jaya Bachchan, meanwhile, questioned why Kharge was not allowed to speak by the Chairman.
“We are not school children, some of us are senior citizens. I was upset with the tone and especially when leader of opposition stood up to speak, he had switched off the mic. How can you do this? This is against the tradition. You have to allow the leader,” Jaya told reporters.
She also alleged that members sitting in the Treasury benches use unparliamentary words. “‘You are a nuisance’, ‘Buddhiheen’ (stupid), all these words are also spoken by Treasury benches,” she alleged.
‘Opposition considering resolution to remove Dhankhar’
The opposition is considering submitting a notice for moving a resolution to remove the Vice-President from his office, news agency PTI said quoting sources. The timing of the notice is to be discussed and decided and though the resolution may not go through it would be a statement to highlight the Chair’s “blatantly and consistently partisan” approach.
According to Article 67(b) of the Constitution, “Vice-President may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council and agreed to by the House of the People; but no resolution for the purpose of this clause shall be moved unless at least fourteen days’ notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution.”
Opposition sources said 87 members have signed on the proposal to initiate action against Dhankhar.
A source said around two days ago, leader of house JP Nadda was informally informed that the opposition is considering submitting a motion to remove Dhankhar.
Dhankhar vs Kharge over Vinesh Phogat
On Wednesday, Dhankhar had accused opposition of “challenging” the authority of the Chair. This was after Kharge was denied permission to speak on the issue of wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after being found overweight ahead of her 50kg final match.
During the discussion on Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2024 and Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No 3) Bill, 2024, the opposition members kept sloganeering demanding justice for Phogat but Dhankhar said nothing would go on record.
Kharge said he wanted to speak with the Chair’s permission on an issue to which Dhankhar responded that he had declined the permission and the debate would continue.
Dhankhar said that LoP wanted the Chair to interrupt the debate without taking recourse to any rule and shared his message seeking permission to take the floor without spelling out the issue.
After the members walked out, Dhankhar said their act was “indecorous, undignified, challenging the authority of Chair”.
“An LoP, an important fulcrum in Parliamentary democracy … so painful. I have no words to take exception to such kind of conduct,” Dhankhar said.
War of words between Dhankhar and Kharge
In July, during the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, a war of words erupted between Dhankhar and Kharge after the former sarcastically told Congress member Jairam Ramesh to take the latter’s post of LoP. Kharge, who is a Dalit, said Dhankhar was bringing in the “Varna” (caste) system by calling Ramesh “intelligent and gifted”, and by implication labelling him “dull”. An agitated Dhankhar then rapped Kharge for “twisting” his remarks.
(With inputs from agencies)