Congress-led INDIA bloc mulls motion for removal of Rajya Sabha chairman Dhankhar
The Congress-led INDIA bloc is mulling to bring a motion for the removal of Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, alleging partisan approach of the Chair in the House of Elders.
A top Congress source confirmed to The Tribune that a resolution to this effect was in the process of being drafted and opposition INDIA alliance MPs in Rajya Sabha were being rallied to support it.
The Congress move follows another wasted day in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned amid a ruckus between the BJP and opposition Congress MPs over ruling party allegations of a senior Congress leader's alleged links with Hungarian-American businessman George Soros.
The BJP MPs inside and outside Parliament on Monday alleged that Gandhi had links with Soros and Congress was hand in glove with anti-India forces, a charge the Congress denied.
In the Rajya Sabha, chairman Dhakhar allowed several ruling party MPs led by Leader of the House J P Nadda to speak on the issue, much to the resistance of the Congress which accused the chair of being “party to the BJP conspiracy.”
The Congress has planned to bring the motion against Dhankhar under Article 67 (B) of the Constitution of India, which says the V-P can be removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by an effective majority and agreed upon by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority.
Although the opposition is in minority in Lok Sabha and the resolution would not be carried, INDIA bloc leaders say they will make the political point about their charge that the chairman is partisan.
After the recent by-elections, the Upper House has an effective strength of 234 MPs. The BJP has 96 MPs and the NDA in all has 113 MPs.
Six nominated MPs, who mostly side with the government in case of a vote, would take the strength of the ruling NDA to 119 in the Upper House — two more than the current simple majority of 117.
The Congress has 27 MPs in Rajya Sabha. If all opposition MPs come together, the number will be 90. A similar attempt against Dhankhar was made by the opposition in August this year but not pressed.
The rules have a 14-day requirement for such a notice and a sign of 50 MPs. In the current session, only 8 working days are left. The opposition is mulling whether they would have the time required to give the notice to remove the V-P.
“This is a grey area -- whether 14 days can be counted over two consecutive sessions or whether these should be counted over a single session. This is being discussed,” a Congress source said adding that there is no precedence of any motion to remove the Vice-President in the past.
