NEW DELHI: The opposition is considering submitting a notice for a resolution to remove vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar from office after the rift between the Rajya Sabha chairman and the opposition’s INDIA bloc intensified on Monday, news agency PTI reported citing sources.
According to the report, opposition parties had gathered the required signatures for the notice in August but refrained from acting, hoping to give Dhankhar “another chance.” However, his conduct in the House on Monday reportedly pushed them to proceed with the move.
The Congress spearheaded the move, with support from the TMC, Samajwadi Party, AAP and other INDIA bloc parties.
The INDIA bloc’s proposed resolution invokes Article 67(b) of the Constitution, which outlines the process for removing the vice president. A resolution requires a majority vote in the Rajya Sabha, with subsequent agreement from the Lok Sabha, and must be preceded by at least 14 days’ notice.
Meanwhile, both houses of the parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, have been adjourned till Tuesday. The adjournments came after disruptions in the proceedings.
Tensions over BJP’s Soros-Congress link allegations
Tensions flared during zero hour after leader of the house JP Nadda accused Congress leaders of links with the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP), which he claimed received financial backing from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and viewed Jammu and Kashmir as a “separate entity.”
Nadda further alleged connections between FDL-AP and billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a claim that sparked sharp reactions from opposition members.
As BJP members pressed for a discussion on these allegations, chairman Dhankhar sought an explanation for their protests. Several BJP and NDA MPs argued that the issue was tied to national security and demanded immediate deliberation. The opposition, however, said that this was a diversion tactic.
After BJP’s Laxmikant Bajpayee was given the floor to raise his Zero Hour mention and started speaking on the issue of national security, Congress leaders challenged Dhankhar’s handling of the situation, questioning how he could allow BJP members to raise an issue he had previously dismissed by rejecting their notices under Rule 267.
“This is most unfair,” said Ramesh. “You have rejected the notices. Yet, an issue that you disallowed is now being raised. It appears to be part of a larger game plan to stall the House.”
Ramesh further accused the BJP of attempting to shift focus from allegations surrounding the Adani Group, a narrative echoed by several Congress members.
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