RS proceedings adjourned till Monday amid ruckus over no-confidence notice against Dhankhar

The opposition’s move to seek the impeachment of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar led to pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. With opposition and treasury benches clashing and the Chairman wading into the issue, the proceedings of the House, which have been marred because of the issue and the Adani controversy, were adjourned in the first hour itself. Before the adjournments, Dhankhar said he was a farmer's son and he would not ‘show weakness’.

“Day in and day out there is only a campaign against the Chairman…..it's a campaign not against me; it's a campaign against category to which I belong,” he asserted.

The Chairman, before adjourning the proceedings at around 11.45 am till Monday, appealed to Leader of the Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the House JP Nadda to come to his chamber to find a way out to end the logjam.

"I appeal to you, Khargeji, please spare time, accept my prayer, and see me in my chamber today. The same request I am making to the Leader of the House also... I will try to navigate things so that we are able to work as members of the House. I would expect Kharge Ji to respond. Let us meet in my chamber and find a way out," Dhankhar said.

To this, a visibly angry Kharge retorted, "How can I respect you? You are insulting me".

As he was speaking, the Chair adjourned the proceedings till Monday.

Trouble arose after BJP's Radha Mohan Das Agrawal raised a point of order and narrated the procedure related to the no-confidence motion against the Vice President of India, who is an ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Agarwal spoke at length on the impeachment notice given by the opposition parties, calling it an insult to the nation and the chair of the Vice President and farmers.

He said the notice, as the rules specify, is to be taken up after 14 days, but the Congress leaders have gone to the press with allegations.

The Congress, he alleged, has a history of "insulting Presidents and Vice Presidents."

Jawaharlal Nehru, as the country's first prime minister, used to "continuously insult President Rajendra Prasad," he alleged. He went on to add that Prasad was not given a cremation in the national capital and was even deprived of medical facilities when he was ill.

"Nehru asked (the then President) Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan not to attend Prasad's funeral in Patna. But Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan did not listen to the Prime Minister and he went for the funeral (of India's first President)," he alleged.

He said Kharge should have waited for 14 days as per rules for the no-confidence motion to be taken up and then spoken on the subject, but instead he has been making allegations against Dhankhar through press statements and social media. "Congress has no faith in the Constitution," he added.

Surendra Singh Nagar (BJP) said the Congress party is "anti-farmer", "anti-OBC", and the country will not forgive it for this act of its.

Neeraj Shekhar (BJP) said the Congress doesn't want any son of a farmer, Dalit, or poor person to progress. "They are making personal remarks (against Dhankhar)," he said.

Kiran Choudhary (BJP) said the act of Congress through the no-confidence motion has shown their "anti-farmer" attitude. "They work only to save one family." Amid the din, opposition Congress MPs tried to make their point.

Dhankhar finally allowed Pramod Tiwari (Cong) to speak.

Tiwari said if the chairman was a farmer’s son, the Leader of the Opposition, Kharge, was the son of a farm labourer and a Dalit, who was not being allowed to speak.

Just as he brought a reference to the ruling side trying to save a billionaire, who is facing bribery allegations in the US, Dhankhar interjected to say nothing will go on record.

Dhankhar said, "Kisan ka beta hoon, kamzori nahi dikhaoga (I am the son of the farmer; I will not show weakness)" "I have tolerated enough," he said, adding the opposition parties have to wait for 14 days before the motion brought by them can be discussed.

"It will come after 14 days," he said.

The treasury benches created a ruckus when the floor was given to the opposition leaders to make their point.

When Kharge was given the floor, he alleged that the Chairman was purposely encouraging BJP members and giving more time to them.

"Make them sit. We have not come here to listen to praises for you," the Congress President said.

Earlier, Dhankhar said he had received four notices under Rule 267 that seek to set aside business of the day to take up the issue being sought to be raised.