The antagonism between the Opposition parties
NEW DELHI: The antagonism between the Opposition parties and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has escalated to an extent where the Opposition parties are considering bringing a resolution for the removal of the Vice President of India, who serves in the dual role as the Chairman of the Upper House, according to sources.
With the monsoon session scheduled to get over by Monday, the opposition parties are likely to work on the procedure for this unprecedented move in Rajya Sabha, as per available records, in the three-month gap period between sessions, that is between now and the Winter Session.
The sources said 87 members have signed on the proposal to initiate action against Dhankhar.
The opposition parties have already started collating documentary material of instances in the House, where Dhankhar has been “partisan in his actions and has also overruled norms and procedures to the advantage of the treasury benches, when the chair should be seen as a neutral umpire who must uphold the dignity of the Constitutional post,” a senior opposition party member told the TOI.
A source said around two days ago, Leader of the House J P Nadda was informally informed that the Opposition may be submitting a motion for removing Dhankhar.
The opposition parties have already started collating documentary material of instances in the House, where Dhankhar has been “partisan in his actions and has also overruled norms and procedures to the advantage of the treasury benches, when the chair should be seen as a neutral umpire who must uphold the dignity of the Constitutional post,” a senior opposition party member told the TOI.
A source said around two days ago, Leader of the House J P Nadda was informally informed that the Opposition may be submitting a motion for removing Dhankhar.
The source said concerns of opposition parties include microphone of the Leader of Opposition being turned off repeatedly. The opposition wants the House to be run by rules and convention and personal remarks against members are unacceptable, the source said.
The procedure of removal of the chairman has to begin with “a resolution moved in the Upper House to remove the Vice President, who acts in his dual role as the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The resolution must be passed by 50 per cent of the present members, plus one member, of those present in the House on that day. If the resolution gets passed, it has to go to the Lok Sabha to be passed by a simple majority, for it to get accepted, explained a senior RS MP. This procedure follows from Articles 67 (b), 92 and 100 of the Constitution.
Going by this process, there is every possibility of the resolution to be defeated in the House, yet the opposition members are contemplating moving on it, “to prove the point that the Chair has deviated from his role as a neutral umpire and hence disrespected the chair,” a senior opposition party MP elaborated.
The issue of uneasy relations building up between Dhankhar and the opposition parties aggravated on Thursday, as the RS chairman left the House after heated clashes with TMC member Derek O’Brien and some of the other Opposition members who were not permitted to raise the issue of disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics. On Friday morning the situation worsened with a spat breaking out between the Chair and SP’s Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan, after which the Opposition walked out.
The procedure of removal of the chairman has to begin with “a resolution moved in the Upper House to remove the Vice President, who acts in his dual role as the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The resolution must be passed by 50 per cent of the present members, plus one member, of those present in the House on that day. If the resolution gets passed, it has to go to the Lok Sabha to be passed by a simple majority, for it to get accepted, explained a senior RS MP. This procedure follows from Articles 67 (b), 92 and 100 of the Constitution.
Going by this process, there is every possibility of the resolution to be defeated in the House, yet the opposition members are contemplating moving on it, “to prove the point that the Chair has deviated from his role as a neutral umpire and hence disrespected the chair,” a senior opposition party MP elaborated.
The issue of uneasy relations building up between Dhankhar and the opposition parties aggravated on Thursday, as the RS chairman left the House after heated clashes with TMC member Derek O’Brien and some of the other Opposition members who were not permitted to raise the issue of disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics. On Friday morning the situation worsened with a spat breaking out between the Chair and SP’s Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan, after which the Opposition walked out.
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