The no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has been rejected on technicality grounds.
The motion was dismissed by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who called it a “personally targeted notice bereft of facts”. He also highlighted other technicalities such as Dhankar’s name not being spelt correctly and said that a notice period of 14 days, which is required for moving a resolution, was not given.
He also highlighted that the notice lacked of bona fides and called it a “calculated unwholesome attempt to garnish publicity, run down the Constitutional institution” and “insinuate the personal image of the incubment Vice President”.
Slamming the notice, Harivansh said: “The gravity of this personally targeted notice bereft of facts and aimed at securing publicity makes its expose expedient, being misadventure in deliberate trivialising and demeaning of the high constitutional office of Vice President of the largest democracy.”
The ruling, which was tabled by tabled in the House by Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, noted that the invoked Article 67(b) peremptorily mandates at least 14 days prior notice for any resolution contemplating the Vice President’s removal. Thus, December 10, 2024 notice of intention could permit such a resolution only after December 24, 2024.
The Deputy Chairman also noted that the notice given by the opposition was severally flawed and the name of the addressee and resolution text were not present. Additionally, the name of incumbent Vice President was misspelt in the entire petition, documents and videos asserted were not made part, and premised on links of disjointed media reports without authentication.
Harivansh also pointed out that the notice contained assertions that were made to “only malign the incubment Vice President” mentioning events from the time he assumed office in August 2022.
“The prejudicial intent manifested through orchestration of a coordinated media campaign, including a televised press conference initiated by the LoP and Chief whip of the Indian National Congress, main opposition party, on December 12, 2024,” the Deputy Chairman stated in his order, highlighting that the presser was held to create a narrative against Dhankar.
At least 60 opposition leaders had signed the notice for Dhankar’s removal from his post on December 10, accusing himof being “biased”. The Deputy Chairman had to deal with the notion after the Vice President recused himself from it.
