The Congress and its allies in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday moved a no-confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, with INDIA bloc members formally submitting a proposal to this effect to the Secretary General of the upper house.
The opposition alleged that the Chairman has been conducting the proceedings of the upper house in a highly partisan manner, leaving them no choice but to take this unprecedented step.
The Congress members claimed that such partial handling of the Rajya Sabha proceedings goes against the democratic process, and therefore, all parties in the INDIA bloc collectively presented the motion.
Opposition MPs who signed the motion regretted that they had to go this way but stated that this was a necessity to ensure parliamentary democracy. The proposal signed by around 60 MPs has been submitted under Article 67-B of the Constitution.
Criticizing the ruling party, Congress member Randeep Singh Surjewala said that it is disrupting Parliament to avoid debates on critical issues like corruption, inflation, and unemployment. "This is a black chapter in parliamentary history. The government is running away from discussions and wasting Parliament's time," he said.
Surjewala claimed this marked the first instance in India's 75-year history where the government itself is allegedly obstructing Parliament's functioning.
Even the opposition parties, including Congress, have been raising objections over unequal treatment in Rajya Sabha. They claim that even when the house is in disarray, the ruling party is given an opportunity to present its views but the opposition is not given an opportunity.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the opposition was always ready to discuss and debate but accused the BJP of adjourning the House intentionally so that it could not take up burning issues like unemployment and the recent violence in UP's Sambhal.
The no-confidence motion brought by the opposition has been seen as a sign of growing tension in Parliament as both sides have been accusing each other of obstructing democratic functioning.
Read also| Sena MLA Reveals Shinde's Demand for Home Portfolio from BJP, Negotiations Underway
