Speaking for the first time since the Opposition submitted a notice for his removal during the Winter Session of Parliament, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said people holding constitutional posts are not in the position to settle scores, also cautioning against “orchestrated efforts” to harm national interests.
Accusing the Rajya Sabha Chairman of being “explicitly partisan” in conducting the proceedings of the House and acting as an “impassioned spokesperson” of the government’s policies at public fora, the Opposition INDIA bloc submitted a notice on December 10 for bringing a resolution for removal of the Vice President from his office, making it the first such action in India’s parliamentary history. The notice was rejected by the Deputy Chairman of the Upper House, Harivansh Narayan Singh, on several grounds, including technical flaws, on December 19.
Pointing to the notice, Dhankhar said, “Just look at the notice against the Vice President. Just look at the six links they have given. You’ll be shocked. Chandra Shekhar Ji once said, ‘Never use a vegetable-cutting knife for bypass surgery.’ The notice wasn’t even a vegetable-cutting knife; it was rusted. There was haste. When I read it, I was astonished,” he remarked.
Addressing a group of women journalists at the Vice President’s Enclave, Dhankhar said, “Let me declare why the notice emanated. Any constitutional position has to be vindicated by commitment to sublimity, sterling qualities, and constitutionalism. We are not in a position to settle scores. Because for the success of democracy, two things are inalienable: expression and dialogue.”
The two-page document mentioned Dhankhar’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha on July 2 when he said he became “the Eklavya of the RSS” some 25 years ago, saying this is “unbecoming” of the non-partisan nature of the presiding officer position he occupies in the House. The notice also called Dhankhar “explicitly partisan”, conducting the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha in “an extremely biased manner”.
It alleged that Dhankhar constantly interrupts Opposition members when they attempt to speak, repeatedly makes disparaging comments about them publicly, and criticises them for views against the functioning of the government. The Opposition also attached newspaper clippings and links to make its case.
Dhankhar said the right to expression is the very definition of democracy and added, “If expression is qualified, compromised, or made subject to coercion, democratic values are flawed. It is antithetical to democratic evolution.”
He stressed the importance of dialogue, stating, “Before you use your vocal cords, allow your ears to entertain the other point of view. Without these two elements, democracy can neither be nurtured nor blossom.”
Cautioning against orchestrated efforts to harm national interests, the Vice President remarked, “Quite often, I have seen for myself, these are fuelled in an orchestrated manner by forces that are determined to be inimical to the interest of this country. Their objective is to destroy, brick by brick, our constitutional institutions, slur the presidency, and mind you, who is the President? The first tribal woman to become President of this country (Droupadi Murmu).”
Reflecting on the state of parliamentary debates, Dhankhar said, “Have you noticed in 10, 20, 30 years, any great debate? Any great contribution made on the floor of the House? We are in the news for the wrong reasons.”
The notice came a day after the events of December 9 in the House, when Dhankhar called some ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs to speak after rejecting their Rule 267 notice seeking to raise the “rising threats to national security due to alleged nexus between a political party and some organisations working against India”.
This was the first time a notice to bring a motion to remove the Vice President had been submitted. According to the rules, a 14-day notice must be given, and the motion must be approved by the Deputy Chairman (since it is against the Chairman) before it can be taken up in the Rajya Sabha.
Calling it “a strong message to fight for parliamentary democracy”, the Opposition served the notice to move the resolution against Dhankhar to the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha. Around 60 Rajya Sabha MPs signed the notice, including the Congress’s Pramod Tiwari and Jairam Ramesh; the Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh; the Trinamool Congress’s Sukendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Sagarika Ghose; apart from MPs belonging to the RJD, CPI, CPI(M), JMM, DMK and the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Even as the Opposition did not have the numbers to ensure the passage of the resolution, the move was a largely symbolic exercise to make a political point. The government had slammed the motion, saying “Congress and their allies have repeatedly disrespected the Chair”.
Invoking Dhankhar’s background, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said: “Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar comes from a poor farmer’s family and is the first V-P from the Jat community. The V-P always talks of the welfare of farmers, the poor, and the country inside and outside Parliament. He guides us. We respect him a lot.”
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