NEW DELHI — Asserting that "trampling of democracy" has become the
norm in Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge
Thursday alleged abuse of power by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and questioned his
impartiality.
The Congress chief alleged the Rajya Sabha chairman has
consistently suppressed the freedom of expression of Opposition members through
"persistent heckling, unwarranted insistence on authentication, unfair
remarks, and the refusal to list issues of public importance for
discussion".
His scathing criticism of the vice president comes a
couple of days after Opposition INDIA bloc parties, spearheaded by the
Congress, submitted a notice in Rajya Sabha for moving a no-confidence motion
against Dhankhar, accusing him of being "extremely partisan".
On behalf of the Opposition, Congress leaders Jairam
Ramesh and Naseer Hussain on Tuesday submitted the notice signed by 60
opposition MPs -- including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP,
DMK, Samajwadi Party -- to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody.
In a post on X on Thursday, Kharge alleged that muzzling
the Opposition's "right to speak" and "expression of
opinion" has become the norm in Rajya Sabha.
"While trampling of 'democracy' and 'subjugation of
truth' has become the autocratic norm in Rajya Sabha... assault on established
'parliamentary practices' is promoted and 'ethical conduct' stands liquidated
in Rajya Sabha...our resolve to uphold the Constitution, defend the sacred
chamber of Democracy, stand in defense of time-honoured Parliamentary practices
becomes even stronger and steadfast in face of this brutal, lethal and
obtrusive assault being unleashed," the Congress chief said.
"We will not bow down. We will stand tall in
protection of Democratic rights of every fellow citizen and our sacred
Constitution," he said.
Kharge said he was not permitted to speak in the House
and he seeks to place before the People of India, 10 points as to why the
Opposition expresses "no confidence" in the conduct of the Chairman
and the functioning of the Rajya Sabha.
"The conduct of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha,
Jagdeep Dhankhar, has raised serious concerns over his impartiality, with
frequent criticisms of the Opposition and an abuse of the powers vested in the
Chair," he alleged.
Kharge claimed that the Chairman has consistently
"suppressed" the freedom of expression of Opposition members through
"persistent heckling, unwarranted insistence on authentication, unfair
remarks, and the refusal to list issues of public importance for
discussion".
On several occasions, the Chairman has misused his
authority by suspending members en masse and extending these suspensions beyond
a single session, setting a concerning precedent, he said.
"The Chairman has repeatedly and vociferously
criticised Opposition leaders outside the House, often echoing the arguments of
the ruling party, the BJP. Within the House, he has ‘schooled’ even senior
Opposition members. He has misused the sanctity of the chair to praise his political
ideologue - RSS, and said that 'I am the Eklavya of RSS', which is inconsistent
with the spirit of the Constitution," Kharge said.
He claimed that the Chairman displays "unwarranted
sycophancy" towards the government within the House and also outside.
"On various occasions, he has equated the Prime
Minister with Mahatma Gandhi, has held it wrong to seek the accountability of
the Prime Minister by the Opposition. He has commented even on walkouts by the
Opposition, even though it is a well-honoured Parliamentary tool," he
said.
"He routinely directs arbitrary and malafide
expunging of critical portions of Opposition members’ speeches, including those
by the Leader of the Opposition," he said.
"The Chairman has never permitted any discussion
under Rule 267, nor has he allowed Opposition members to explain their notices
under this rule. In contrast, ruling party members are often allowed to
elaborate on their notices without restriction," he said.
Kharge also alleged that the coverage by Sansad
Television is noticeably biased, often failing to show Opposition benches.
"When Opposition leaders speak, the camera
disproportionately focuses on the Chair. Moreover, directions regarding
telecast protocols were arbitrarily altered without consulting the General
Purposes Committee, which includes representation from all parties," he
said.
Kharge also stated that short duration discussions and
calling attention motions are rarely taken up and pointed out that under the
UPA era, Rajya Sabha routinely conducted one short duration discussion and two
calling attention motions weekly.
"During the current tenure, no Half-an-Hour
Discussions or Statutory Resolutions by Opposition members have been
entertained. Bills are also frequently not referred to Department-Related
Standing Committees for detailed examination," Kharge said.
He alleged that the Opposition members are not allowed to
seek clarifications on statements made by ministers, a practice that was previously
permitted in Rajya Sabha.
"The Chairman has taken unilateral decisions on
significant matters, such as relocating statues and altering the security
apparatus, without consulting the concerned committees. The General Purposes
Committee and Rules Committee have not met during his tenure," he said.
