‘Political exit camouflaged as a constitutional lie’: Congress on Jagdeep Dhankar’s resignation

The Congress on Saturday accused the government of showing signs of insecurity over its inability to control the narrative on impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, and termed Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation a “political exit camouflaged as a constitutional lie”.

In his counter statement to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s claim that no impeachment motion had been admitted in the Rajya Sabha other than the one admitted in Lok Sabha, veteran Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi in a presser questioned, “Did the Chairman not clearly make the Opposition motion a property of the House when he inquired from the Law Minister about the admission of a separate motion in the Lok Sabha?”

He said Dhankhar wanted both Houses to join on the issue and perhaps that is linked to his sudden resignation and silence.

“We believe Dhankhar’s resignation is a political exit camouflaged as a constitutional lie,” Singhvi reiterated.

He claimed that now a joint committee of Parliament for inquiry against Justice Varma would not be possible as the government only wants to push forward its motion, admitted in the Lok Sabha.

“There’s a difference between what they show and what they do and when it comes to issues related to accountability in the judiciary. The BJP is exhibiting precisely this kind of double-faced, hypocritical behaviour,” he said.

He termed  the government’s move to push forward its motion in Lok Sabha as “institutional sabotage and constitutional transgression”.

“In a democracy and on an issue on which you have the support of most of the members of the Opposition, why do you want to be arrogant and pursue ‘Ekla Chalo’?” Singhvi questioned.

He also accused the government of suffering from intoxication of power.

He accused the government of being “insecure” realising its inability to control the narrative on impeachment motion.

In his jibe at the government, Singhvi said, “When power intoxicates the ruling regime to the point that it is prepared to institutionally sabotage its own Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman, then democracy is imperilled. And only democracy, represented through the voice of its people, can intervene.”

The Congress leader said that now that only a committee from Lok Sabha, instead of a joint committee of Parliament, will inquire against Justice Varma.

He said the government may give ground to Justice Varma to challenge the entire impeachment motion proceedings.