Kharge blasts V-P Dhankar over muzzling Opposition’s ‘freedom of expression’ in RS

New Delhi: Asserting that “trampling of democracy” has become the norm in the 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 the 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 PC Mody.

In a post on X on Thursday, Kharge alleged that muzzling the Opposition’s “right to speak” and “expression of opinion” is frequent in the 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 and he seeks to place before the People of India, 10 points as to why the Opposition expresses “no confidence” in chairman and the functioning of the Rajya Sabha.

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.