Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a notice to move a motion for the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who also serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The notice, spearheaded by the Congress, has been signed by around 60 MPs from various opposition parties, including the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, and DMK, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.
The notice was submitted to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody, sources confirmed to PTI. This move comes in the wake of heightened tensions between opposition parties and Dhankhar, particularly over his handling of several contentious issues during the proceedings of the Upper House. The opposition has been increasingly vocal in their criticism of the Vice President’s actions, accusing him of partisanship and favoritism towards the ruling government.
The latest point of contention arose when Dhankhar allowed members of the treasury benches to raise the issue of alleged links between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and billionaire businessman George Soros in the Rajya Sabha. This, according to the opposition, was a clear case of bias and an attempt to target the Congress party through divisive political strategies.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, who has been one of the most prominent critics of Dhankhar, accused the Rajya Sabha Chairman of exhibiting partisan behavior. “The Vice President has consistently undermined the opposition’s right to speak and raised issues that have no relevance to the functioning of Parliament,” Singh said.
The notice submitted on Tuesday is in line with a growing sense of dissatisfaction among opposition parties regarding Dhankhar’s conduct in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier this year, in August, the INDIA alliance had considered moving a resolution to remove Dhankhar from his position, citing similar concerns over his impartiality.
Under the provisions of the Indian Constitution, specifically Article 67(b), the Vice President may be removed from office by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Rajya Sabha. However, such a resolution can only be moved if at least fourteen days’ notice is provided to the House.
The motion to remove Dhankhar would require the support of at least 50 members in the Rajya Sabha. With the backing of around 60 opposition MPs, the motion appears to have the necessary numbers for the next steps, although it remains to be seen how the ruling BJP and other allied parties will respond.
The latest move has only added fuel to the already volatile political environment in Parliament. The opposition is likely to continue pushing for a resolution, particularly as they try to highlight what they view as a growing pattern of bias in the conduct of parliamentary affairs under Dhankhar’s leadership.