Opposition reportedly attached 'newspaper clippings' to make its case of 'No Trust Motion' against RS chairman Dhankhar

The notice from Congress and other Opposition parties calls Dhankhar “explicitly partisan”and that he presides over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha, India's House of elders, in “an extremely biased manner”.

-- It alleges that he publicly attacked Opposition MPs over views contrary to the position of the government.

"Opposition has reportedly attached newspaper clippings to make its case" - this itself may be self defeating because Parliament often does not take cognizance of media reports !!

 

Dhankhar with Mamata Banerjee

It is worth mentioning that as Governor of West Bengal, he regularly had problems with the state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

Sources said the Opposition has also alleged that Rajya Sabha Chairman and India's Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar constantly interrupts Opposition members when they attempt to speak.  

In December 2022 he probably surprised many. 

After UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had on Dec 21 (2022) accused the Centre of making a calculated attempt to "delegitimise" the judiciary and sought to drag Vice President Jagdeeep Dhankar in a row, the Rajya Sabha chairman had exception to Congress leader's remarks.

"...The observations were with respect to what I said from this chair on Dec 8. The observations were to that extreme degree as chairman Rajya Sabha and Vice President can be enlisted by the ruling party to delegitimise judiciary," the Vice President said in Rajya Sabha.

He said had he not reacted (against Sonia Gandhi, then a member of Lok Sabha), it would have "demeaning consequences" and an impression sought to be imparted that the chair would become a party to a pernicious and sinister design at the instance of the government to deligitimise the judiciary.

"Delegitimising judiciary means the death knell of democracy. This partisan battle has to be settled inter se," Mr Dhankar emphasized.

The notice given by Opposition INDIA bloc MPs on Dec 10, 2024, to bring a no-confidence motion against Vice-President Dhankhar recounts some statements made by him allegedly against the Opposition.

The Opposition members say that he (Vice President) had taken it upon himself to be an “impassioned spokesperson” of the government’s policies at public fora.

File Snap : When PM interacted with Sonia and others along with LS Speaker Birla over 'conduct of members'

Sources say the two-page document (submitted with Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha) also mentions Dhankhar’s July 2 remarks in the House that he became “the Eklavya of the RSS” some 25 years ago.

Opposition members say this is “unbecoming” of the non-partisan nature of the presiding officer position he occupies in the House. 

Sources said the Opposition has also alleged that Dhankhar  repeatedly makes disparaging comments about them publicly, and criticises them for expressing issues with the functioning of the government. 

The Opposition notice specifically mentions the events of Monday, December 9, in the House, when Dhankhar is said to have called some NDA MPs to speak even after rejecting their Rule 267 notice seeking to raise the issue of “rising threats to national security due to alleged nexus between a political party and some organisations working against India”.

The Opposition notice is learnt to also accuse Dhankhar of unfairly using privilege motions to silence Opposition MPs, and of disparaging expression of dissent against the government. 

The paper makes these charges against Dhankhar – that he has denied “legitimate” requests of the Leader of the Opposition to challenge alleged falsehoods of the Prime Minister and Leader of the House; 

-- made unacceptable remarks against the Leader of the Opposition; 

-- criticised statements by Opposition leaders who are not even Rajya Sabha MPs; 

-- and publicly attacked Opposition MPs over views contrary to the position of the government. 

The BJD said it will not back any such move or motion. 

ends