Uproar in Rajya Sabha as grandson of Charan Singh speaks ‘out of turn’

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, February 10

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar on Saturday came down heavily on Congress MPs when the opposition members questioned his decision to ask RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary to speak out of turn on the Bharat Ratna to his late grandfather former Prime Minister Charan Singh.

As soon as Jayant Chaudhary started speaking and thanked the government for honouring his grandfather, Congress members objected and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge asked the rule under which the RLD leader was allowed to speak.

Rules not followed

If a member wants to raise an issue, you ask ‘under which rule’…under which rule he (Jayant) has been allowed to speak. —Mallikarjun Kharge, RS leader of opposition

Won’t tolerate this

Don’t use this language. I will not tolerate insult to Chaudhary Charan Singh. He stands for commitment to farmers. —Jagdeep Dhankhar, RS Chairman

“There is no debate on honouring leaders with Bharat Ratna. I salute everyone. But if a member wants to raise an issue, you (chairman) ask ‘under which rule’”, Kharge said and asked the rule under which Chaudhary has been allowed to speak.

Reacting to Kharge, Dhankhar said, “Don’t use this language. I will not tolerate insult to Chaudhary Charan Singh. He stands for impeccable public life, unimpeachable integrity, and commitment to farmers.” Jayant wrote to him on Friday asking for permission to be given to him to speak in the House on Saturday, Kharge said. Dhankhar also pulled up Congress’ Jairam Ramesh for his remarks against Jayant Chaudhary and said Ramesh does not deserve to be in the Upper.

Leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal asked Kharge to apologise to the Chair as well as the nation.