NEW DELHI, Dec 9: The turbulent relations between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and the INDIA bloc came to a head on Monday with opposition camp sources saying they are considering submitting a notice “very soon” for moving a resolution to remove the vice president from his office.
They said the opposition parties had required signatures from all INDIA bloc parties in August itself but did not move as they decided to give Dhankhar “another chance but his conduct on Monday” convinced them to go ahead with it.
The sources said the Congress had taken the lead on the issue and the TMC and the Samajwadi Party, besides other INDIA bloc parties, were supportive of the move.
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In Rajya Sabha on Monday, soon after a brief first adjournment during Zero Hour, Leader of the House J P Nadda said BJP members were agitated over an issue that involved Congress leaders and wanted a discussion.
“The link between Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP) and George Soros is a matter of concern. Its co-president is a member of this House,” he said.
Nadda alleged the FDL-AP sees Jammu and Kashmir as a “separate entity” and gets financial support from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
As Chairman Dhankhar sought to know why the ruling party members were protesting, many BJP MPs alleged that the top Congress leadership has links with George Soros. They demanded that the issue be discussed in the House as it is connected to national security.
Several MPs of the BJP and NDA allies demanded an immediate discussion on it while Congress members claimed this was being done to divert attention from the Adani issue.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari asked how the chairman was allowing the ruling party members to raise the issue when he had rejected their notices in this regard.
BJP’s Laxmikant Bajpayee was given the floor to raise his Zero Hour mention and he started speaking on the issue of national security.
Ramesh objected to his remarks, saying when the Chair has rejected notices under Rule 267, then the issues mentioned therein should not be allowed to be raised.
“This is most unfair. You have rejected the notice, all notices… He is raising an issue which you have rejected. And it is very clear, this is all part of a game plan to raise this issue and have this entire House adjourned. Sir, please don’t be party to this,” Ramesh said.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh also accused Dhankhar of being partisan.
INDIA bloc parties had in August this year also considered submitting a notice for moving a resolution to remove the vice president from his office.
According to Article 67(b) of the Constitution, “Vice-President may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council and agreed to by the House of the People; but no resolution for the purpose of this clause shall be moved unless at least fourteen days’ notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution.” (PTI)
