Jagdeep Dhankhar: 10 statements by Rajya Sabha chairman that riled Congress-led Opposition

In the first-of-its-kind no-confidence motion seeking the removal of Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Congress-led INDIA bloc opposition members condemned ‘the partisan conduct’ of the Vice President. The conduct, the opposition said, is ‘unbecoming of high-level Constitutional authorities’ expected to act in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Constitution of India.

Dhankhar was elected Vice-President of India in August 2022. The Vice President is also chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, also called the Upper House and the Council of States. Dhankhar’s term as the Rajya Sabha chairperson began on a controversial note during the Winter Session of Parliament in 2022.

The relations between Dhankhar and the Opposition hit a low during the Parliament’s Winter Session in 2023 when at least 146 MPs were suspended from both Houses during a protest demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Parliament security breach.

The opposition INDIA blocNational Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act a ‘glaring instance’ of ‘severe compromise’ of parliamentary sovereignty and disregard of the ‘mandate of the people.’

“There is no parallel to such a development in democratic history where a duly legitimised constitutional prescription has been judicially undone. A glaring instance of severe compromise of parliamentary sovereignty and disregard of the mandate of the people of which this house and the Lok Sabha are custodians,” Dhankhar said in his maiden speech in Rajya Sabha on the first day of the winter session of Parliament on December 7, 2022.

2 – In December 2022, Dhankhar said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s statement that the government was trying to “delegitimse the judiciary” was “severely inappropriate” and showed “lack of faith in democracy.”

“The observations are severely inappropriate, indicating a lack of faith in democracy, making this exceptional response unavoidable,” Dhankhar said.

Comments on Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi’s comments at the Congress’ parliamentary party meeting were made amid escalating tension between the government and the judiciary over several issues, including the appointment of judges to constitutional courts.

3-In December 2023, Dhankhar justified the suspension of members from the Upper House by terming it “unavoidable” due to their “extreme degree of misconduct”, and he had “risen to the occasion” when the temple of democracy was “sacrilege”. In a letter to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Dhankhar voiced his anguish over the “widespread perception of ‘politicisation’” of the issue of security breach in Parliament on December 13 instead of display of “collective concern” on the incident.

“When the temple of democracy is sacrileged, surely, you’d agree, as concerned senior Parliamentarian, that the Chairman has risen to the occasion,” he said.

4 – In February 2024, Dhankhar pulled up Jairam Ramesh for his remarks against RLD chief Jayant Singh, saying that the Congress MP does not deserve to be in the Upper House of Parliament for his misconduct. Dhankhar’s decision to allow Jayant Singh to speak in the House on the Bharat Ratna in honour of his grandfather and former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh drew sharp protest from the Congress, leading to a heated exchange of words between the opposition and treasury benches. During this, Ramesh made certain comments. However, these could not be heard amid the uproar.

The chairman warned Ramesh for his remarks against Jayant Singh and said, “It is a matter of fact, you (Ramesh) do not deserve to be part of this House by this misconduct,” said Dhankhar, visibly upset.

5- In March this year, Dhankhar, taking an apparent swipe at the opposition, said that those who thought they were beyond the system are now being held accountable, saying some people hit the streets when the law is set in motion.

Dhankhar’s remarks come ahead of Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) rally that was held to protest the alleged misuse of the central agencies by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the arrest of the then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy “scam”.

“Some people thought we are above the law, immune from the law. That has been demolished… those who thought are beyond the law, the law is after them,” Dhankhar said, addressing an event at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).

6-In July, Dhankhar slammed the remarks made by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on the new criminal laws, saying it was “highly insulting observations towards the Members of Parliament”. “I do not have words strong enough to condemn such a narrative. These are derogatory, defamatory, and highly insulting observations towards Members of Parliament,” Dhankhar said during an event at the Indian Institute of Space and Technology.

7-In July, Dhankhar slammed opposition MPs for walking out of the House as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was speaking and said that they had set a “dangerous precedent”. “I urged them… told them LoP was given adequate time to speak without interruption. (But they didn’t listen). Today they did not leave the House… they left their dignity. Today they did not show me their back… they showed it to the Constitution. They insulted the oath they took. I am pained by this,” Dhankhar said.

The MPs walked out after Dhankhar initially refused Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition, permission to intervene as Modi spoke.

8- In June, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge entered the Well of Rajya Sabha during a protest on paper leaks, drawing strong censure from Dhankhar, who said this was the first time a member occupying the post had done such an act and called it a “stain” on Parliament.

‘Eklavya’ of the RSS

9-In July 2024, Dhankar said in the House that “since the last 25 years, I have been an ‘Eklavya’ of the RSS”. He then showered praises on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of BJP. He said his only “regret” was that he didn’t join the RSS earlier.

“RSS is an organisation which is a global think tank of the highest order…,” he said in the House while responding to a comment from Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman that the government’s main criterion for appointments was if a person belongs to the RSS.

10- In September, Dhankhar, in an apparent swipe at the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said nothing was more condemnable than someone holding a Constitutional post becoming “part of enemies of the nation”.

“I am pained and disturbed that some people in position have just no idea of Bharat. They have no idea of our Constitution, they have no idea of our national interest. I am sure your heart must be bleeding at what you see,” Dhankhar said speaking at Parliament to the third batch of the Rajya Sabha internship programme.

During his visit to the United States in September, Rahul Gandhi spoke of the condition of politics in India and said “love, respect and humility” was missing.