Parliament Winter Session: Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday criticised the no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, describing it as “extremely regrettable.” In an unprecedented move, opposition parties under the INDIA bloc submitted a notice seeking the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar from his position as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, accusing him of partisan conduct.
The notice, signed by 60 MPs from parties including Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, DMK, and Samajwadi Party, was submitted to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody by Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain.
Speaking to reporters, Rijiju said, “The Chair’s authority must be respected. We respect Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji a lot. The notice against the VP by the 60 MPs is condemnable.”
VIDEO | “In the Rajya Sabha, Congress and around 60 other members raised a notice against the Vice President. The Chair’s authority must be respected. We respect Jagdeep Dhankar Ji a lot. The notice against the VP by the 60 MPs is condemnable,” says Union Minister Kiren Rijiju… pic.twitter.com/4ahqRc7S9F
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 10, 2024
He further accused the opposition of disrespecting the dignity of the Chair, stating, “Congress and their alliance continuously behave wrongly by not following the direction of the Chair. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji comes from a humble background. He always talks about farmers’ and people’s welfare inside and outside the Parliament. We respect him. The notice that has been served—I condemn the step of those 60 MPs who have signed the notice. NDA has the majority, and we all have faith in the Chairman.”
#WATCH | Delhi | On a no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against the Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiu says, “The opposition disrespect the dignity of Chair, be it in Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha… Congress party and… pic.twitter.com/S5pkaqqrU4
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2024
First No-Confidence Motion Against Rajya Sabha Chairperson
This is the first instance in the 72-year history of the Rajya Sabha that such a notice has been submitted against a Vice President. As per Article 67(b) of the Constitution, a Vice President may be removed from office by a resolution passed by a majority of the Council of States’ members and agreed upon by the House of the People, with a minimum 14-day notice required before moving such a resolution.
Opposition members, while acknowledging the lack of numbers to pass the motion in the 243-member House, emphasised its symbolic significance. According to PTI, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated, “All opposition parties belonging to the INDIA group have unitedly, unanimously endorsed a no-confidence motion against the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. It has been a very painful decision, but in the interests of parliamentary democracy, they had to take this step.”
Ramesh alleged that Dhankhar’s tenure has been “rife with instances” of partisanship, including allowing ruling party MPs to make “outrageous remarks” against opposition leaders and labelling himself the “Eklavya of the RSS” during a session in July. Opposition leaders also accused Dhankhar of denying legitimate requests by the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to respond to speeches by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House.
ALSO READ | How Does A No-Confidence Motion Work Against The Vice President? Rules & Constitutional Provisions
TMC Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose clarified, “This is not against an individual but a fight for institutions. It is a strong message to fight for parliamentary democracy.”
While previous motions for removing Lok Sabha Speakers have been tabled, this marks the first such action targeting a Vice President. The current move comes amidst ongoing tensions between the opposition and Dhankhar, particularly over his handling of discussions and remarks in the House.
The INDIA bloc’s motion claimed Dhankhar’s conduct has “reduced the prestige of the position he presently occupies to that of a mere spokesman for the Government of the day.” The opposition insisted the motion is necessary to uphold the principles enshrined in the Constitution.
