Opposition gave notice for a motion of no-confidence against Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, the first such action in India’s parliamentary history. A similar motion had been considered by the Opposition during the Budget Session in August, but was not followed through on that occasion.
No-Confidence Motion Against Jagdeep Dhankhar
Why In News
- Opposition gave notice for a motion of no-confidence against Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, the first such action in India’s parliamentary history. A similar motion had been considered by the Opposition during the Budget Session in August, but was not followed through on that occasion.
What Happened
- Under Article 64 of the Constitution of India, the Vice President “shall be ex officio Chairman of the Council of the States”.
- Since the Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairperson must be the same individual, the process for their removal is also the same – and is laid down under Article 67.
- Under this provision, the Vice President “shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office” unless the Vice President resigns before that by sending a letter to the President, or is removed from office.
- The opposition has filed a no-confidence motion against Dhankhar under Article 67(b) of the Constitution as per News18.
- Article 67(b) states, “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.”
- The Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), have all signed the motion. The requirements for removing or impeaching the Vice President are provided under Article 67(b).
What Happens After The Notice For Impeachment Is Given
- Upon the expiry of the 14-day period, Rajya Sabha will take up the resolution for discussion. The procedure outlined in Article 67(b) will then follow.
- In the present case, it is unclear if the resolution will be taken up by the House. This is because the Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to conclude on December 20, which is less than 14 days away. There are no precedents to determine whether this same resolution can be considered in the next Session of the House.
- In any case, given the arithmetic in Parliament, it is almost certain that the resolution will be defeated. This is largely a symbolic move of protest by the Opposition that alleges the Vice President is unfair and partisan in the way he conducts the House.
What Is The Opposition Saying
- INDIA bloc MPs have frequently accused the Rajya Sabha Chairman of being biased towards the ruling members in the Upper House. They have accused him of frequently interrupting their speeches, refusing to allow adequate debate on critical issues, and favouring the ruling party during contentious discussions.
- They argued that parliamentary convention mandated that the Leader of the Opposition be granted the floor when he rose to speak. A major point of contention was the frequent disruption of Congress President and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s speeches, with his microphone allegedly being turned off on multiple occasions.
- The Opposition also accused Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar of making personal remarks against members, which they said violated parliamentary rules. Citing Rule 238(2) of the Rajya Sabha, which explicitly prohibits members from making personal charges against others while speaking, Opposition MPs pointed out that the rule applied to the Chairman as well.
- The Rajya Sabha was disrupted after the BJP accused top Congress leaders of conspiring with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country.
- The allegations sparked intense uproar from both the treasury and opposition benches, leading to multiple adjournments of the House. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar intervened, urging members to consider the gravity of the situation.
- In his remarks, Dhankhar expressed concern over the threat posed by external and internal forces to India’s sovereignty and integrity. The disruptions continued as both sides of the House clashed over the serious accusations, prompting further adjournments throughout the day.
What NDA Leaders Say
- BJP MP Arun Singh said the House was running smoothly until the Opposition began creating a disturbance. He accused the INDIA Bloc of making an issue out of nothing and claimed there were connections between George Soros, Sonia Gandhi, and forces working to divide the country.
- He further asserted that the Opposition consistently brought up such topics before every Parliament session to disrupt House proceedings. Singh mentioned that they had requested the Speaker to allow a discussion on how Congress was supporting anti-India forces.
