Mallikarjun Kharge, Jagdeep Dhankhar in war of words over ‘varna’ barb

New Delhi, July 2

A sharp exchange of words between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge intensified after the former sarcastically asked Congress MP Jairam Ramesh to take the seat of the LoP in an effort to discipline Kharge.

Kharge retorted by urging the chairman not to bring “in the varna (caste) system”. The exchange started when Dhankhar asked Congress’ Pramod Tiwari not to state unverified facts. To this, Ramesh said it would be authenticated. “The senior leadership (Kharge) is here. I think you (Ramesh) should replace (Kharge). You are so intelligent, so gifted, so talented, you should immediately come and take the seat in place of Mr Kharge because, by and large, you are doing his job,” Dhankar said.

Kharge stood up and told the chairman to “not bring in the varna system… that is why you are calling Ramesh very intelligent and I am very dull”.

Dhankar said Kharge had “twisted” his remarks: “I was saying that when a person like you (Kharge) is present, one who has experience of 56 years, even he is being helped at each step by Jairam Ramesh with his remarks. You cannot everytime run down the chair.”