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Kharge, Dhankhar spar; ruckus hits Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday took offence to leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment that he defends Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday took offence to leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment that he defends Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that he does not need to defend anyone other than the Constitution and the rights of the lawmakers.
“Our PM does not require to be defended by me... he has come to be recognised on a global platform — Senate and Congress in the US… Every Indian should be proud of him… Why are you shirking from the hard reality, India is rising as never before?” Dhankhar said.
Dhankhar’s comments came in response to Kharge’s suggestion to adjourn the House till 1pm, when the chairman was expected to meet the floor leaders to work out the details of how a discussion on Manipur would be slotted for business.
“Sir, you don’t agree to such small requests. We asked for the Prime Minister to come, you didn’t agree to that also. You are defending the PM so much… I don’t understand,” Kharge said.
A visibly upset Dhankhar retorted, “After three decades of coalition governments, under the leadership of Prime Minister, you had 2014, you had 2019 electoral results. I am not required to defend anyone. I am required to defend Constitution. I am required to defend your rights.”
The chairman further said that he does not belong to any political party and is “not a stakeholder in politics”.
“I am not concerned with politics, parties [but] only governance,” he said, referring to Kharge’s comments as “not wholesome”. Dhankhar also listed out the achievements of the Union government.
Later, after opposition members walked out of the House in protest, Dhankhar again brought up the issue of the opposition not respecting the prime minister’s popularity. “I thought in all fairness that the LoP will have a wholesome, constructive approach, he will take off his partisan specs and believe in statesman approach. Unfortunately, the LoP tried to be political,” he said.
Stating that India has emerged as the fifth largest economy and its digital transactions outrun those made in the US, UK, France and Germany, Dhankhar said, “All this is accomplished because of visionary leadership.”
“...If at that point of time you do not want to appreciate the PM, where is the occasion to go on a tangential approach and take on the PM of the largest democracy... I do not appreciate such kind of stance,” he added.
Differences of ideology and political approach, he said, should not come in the way of respecting institutions. “...We cannot allow people to taint, tarnish, demean, run down our constitutional institutions and the institution of the PM,” Dhankhar said.
Earlier this week, Dhankhar told the Opposition categorically that he would not issue any directive for the prime minister to be present in the House as it would mean flouting the oath of office. He also said it was the PM’s prerogative like any other MP to come to the House.
This is not the first time that the Congress has accused the chair of being partisan. In March, after Dhankhar rejected Kharge’s point of order that Rajya Sabha cannot discuss issues pertaining to a Lok Sabha member or anyone who is not a member of the Upper House, the Congress had said the presiding officer has to be even-handed.
“Presiding officers in legislatures are expected to be fair, even-handed and non-partisan. They cannot display their biases or their loyalty to the ruling party,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had then said.
