Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, in a stern tone, said that the Leader of Opposition in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, cannot every time “rundown the chair” and indicated that there has been disregard for the chair on his part.
As Congress MP Pramod Tiwari was speaking during the debate on the motion of thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address, an argument broke out between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, LoP in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.
Dhankar said that Jairam Ramesh kept interrupting him, and when again Jairam Ramesh stood up to react to the remarks, Dhankar referred to him as intelligent and talented and mockingly asked him to take on the role of Kharge that would fit him the best.
“Jairam Ramesh, you’re intelligent, so gifted, so talented, you should immediately come and take the seat in place of Kharge because by and large you’re doing his job,” Dhankar said.
In a quick reaction, Kharge said, “Listen, don’t bring this varna system, tilled in your mind that varna system is there. That’s why you’re calling Ramesh very intelligent, very wise and I’m dull so that he could replace me.”
In response, Dhankar said that Kharge misunderstood and misinterpreted what he had said.
When Kharge said that he received the position from Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and that power vests only in her, not with Dhankar or with Jairam Ramesh, Dhankar responded by saying that Kharge disregarded the chair.
“You cannot every time run down the chair. You cannot every time disrespect the chair. You stand suddenly and speak whatever you want without understanding what I am saying. Never in the history of this country and Parliamentary democracy and Rajya Sabha proceedings, there has been such disregard for the chair, as from you,” Dhankar told Kharge.
“Time for you to reflect. Your dignity has been attacked multiple times. I have always tried to protect your dignity,” he added.
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