Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticized the Opposition for setting a "dangerous precedent" contrary to democratic values by walking out during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.
In his final remarks of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha before adjourning the House sine die, Dhankhar described the instance of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge entering the well of the House as "a disgrace to parliamentary conduct and proprietary."
Reflecting on the session’s proceedings, the chairman acknowledged active participation from both treasury and opposition benches but expressed his concern over disruptions that hindered the session. "Witnessing seasoned members conduct themselves irresponsibly was particularly disheartening. I wish to reiterate that disruption not only impedes the transaction of the listed business but also erodes the prestige of this esteemed institution," he emphasized.
Highlighting Kharge’s action of entering the well of the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Dhankhar remarked, "It was extremely painful to notice that even the Leader of the Opposition walked into the Well of the House and that was a disgrace to parliamentary conduct and proprietary." He urged the members to "exemplify their conduct so that this becomes a temple for deliberations, discussion, dialogue, and debate."
Dhankhar expressed his disappointment over the Opposition's walkout, describing it as "extremely painful" during a historic occasion. He noted that the government, led by the prime minister for a third term after six decades, witnessed an opposition walkout which he said set a dangerous precedent against democratic values.
The 264th session of the Upper House commenced with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to both houses of Parliament, which Dhankhar described as "an important tradition that set the tone and outlined the government’s agenda."
The session also saw Modi introduce his new council of ministers after being sworn in for the third consecutive term. "The Motion of Thanks to the President’s address witnessed lively participation by 76 members for over 21 hours. The House also heard maiden speeches by 19 newly-elected members," Dhankhar mentioned.
While noting that the prime minister delivered a "spirited address while participating in the debate," Dhankhar acknowledged that the House lost 43 minutes due to forced adjournments but made up for the lost time by extending discussions during lunch breaks and sitting beyond the scheduled time.
"Due to extended sitting, the total duration of business was finally extended by three hours beyond the scheduled time and, therefore, we scored more than 100 percent in our productivity," he added.
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