Rajya Sabha adjourned after Mallikarjun Kharge, Jagdeep Dhankhar face-off in House
Dhankhar accused the Opposition of “insulting a farmer’s son,” while Kharge retorted that he was belittled for being “a Dalit and the son of a farm labourer”
NEW DELHI: A heated exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition, culminating in a confrontation between Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge, led to the adjournment of the Upper House on Friday.
Dhankhar accused the Opposition of “insulting a farmer’s son,” while Kharge retorted that he was belittled for being “a Dalit and the son of a farm labourer.”
Dhankhar’s invitation to Kharge and leader of the House JP Nadda to meet him in his chamber for a discussion did not materialise, as Kharge declined the invite and Nadda was scheduled to travel to Chhattisgarh.
In a show of Opposition unity, leaders of the INDIA bloc defended Congress president and LoP Kharge, with both Dhankhar and Kharge accusing each other of belittling their caste backgrounds.
The Rajya Sabha session started on a rocky note when the chairman gave the floor to BJP lawmaker Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, who criticised the Opposition for submitting a notice seeking Dhankhar’s removal.
Agarwal alleged that the Opposition had insulted the chairman’s office, and also accused Congress of disrespecting presidents and vice presidents.
The ruckus escalated when the Opposition demanded a chance to speak and alleged that the Chair allowed only BJP lawmakers to express condemnation of the no-confidence motion notice.
When Congress deputy leader Pramod Tiwari rose to speak, the chairman slammed the Opposition, accusing them of insulting “a farmer’s son,” and said he would no longer tolerate it.
Dhankhar said, “I am a farmer’s son; I will not show weakness. I will sacrifice my life for my country. You (Opposition) have only one job 24 hours a day, why is a farmer’s son sitting here... look at what you are saying. I have tolerated a lot... You have the right to bring a motion, but you are insulting the Constitution.”
Dhankhar also pointed out that the Opposition’s notice for a no-confidence motion violated the due process, which requires a 14-day notice before the motion can be taken up. He expressed his frustration with the Opposition, saying, “There is a campaign not against me, but against the category to which I belong.”
The chairman also expressed disappointment that Kharge had declined his invitation for a meeting, despite Dhankhar seeking meetings “at his convenience.”
Also Read: ‘Had no choice’: Opposition MPs submit no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha chairman Dhankhar
Kharge responded, “You are encouraging BJP members to speak against members of other parties... I am also a son of a kisan mazdoor (farm labourer). I have faced more challenges than you. You had a machine to count notes, my father earned after toiling hard.”
Amidst sloganeering from both sides, Kharge accused the chairman of insulting Congress leaders and allowing BJP members to do so. “We have not come here to listen to your tareef (praise), we have come here for discussion,” he said.
The debate continued, with Opposition leaders including Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien and Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh demanding that Kharge be allowed to speak.
The opposition also complained that the cameras were focused on the chairman, and not on Kharge and other Opposition leaders.
Outside Parliament, Trinamool Congress’s Sushmita Dev condemned the BJP lawmakers for hurting the dignity of the House.
“Since the winter session started, we have repeatedly said that issues like poverty, unemployment, and Manipur should be discussed. Instead, the ruling party suppresses public issues, and only their voices are heard,” Dev said.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Tiruchi Siva, who also tried to raise a point of order, lamented the state of democracy in the country, saying, “Whatever happened in the Upper House today was not telecast properly. The members of the ruling party were shown, but the leader of the Opposition was not.”
Congress’s Digvijay Singh also condemned the statements made against Kharge, saying, “When the rules are not being followed by the Chair itself, what can we expect? Opposition MPs are not being allowed to speak in Parliament. No action is being taken against those who speak against the Constitution.”
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