 "History won't forgive those denying level playing field in House: Sibal")
With the opposition seeking the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said history will never forgive those who do not allow a level playing field in the functioning of the House.
In a first, parties of the opposition INDIA bloc spearheaded by the Congress on Tuesday submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha for moving a no-confidence motion against Dhankhar, accusing him of being "extremely partisan" in his role as the Chairman of the Upper House of Parliament.
In a post on X, Sibal said, "Jagdeep Dhankar. 60 Members of Rajya Sabha submit a Notice for his removal. Unprecedented. Sad day for the Mother of Democracy!"
"History will never forgive those who do not allow a level playing field in the functioning of the House," the Independent member of the Rajya Sabha said.
If the motion seeking Dhankhar's removal is moved, the opposition parties need a simple majority to get it passed, but they do not have the requisite numbers in the 243-member House.
Opposition members, however, have insisted that it was a "strong message to fight for parliamentary democracy".
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Noting that the role of the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha is of pivotal importance, the Opposition parties have said Dhankhar is expected to conduct himself in a non-partisan manner but has instead reduced "the prestige of the position he presently occupies to that of a mere spokesman for the Government of the day".
On behalf of the Opposition, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain on Tuesday submitted the notice signed by 60 opposition MPs -- including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, DMK, Samajwadi Party -- to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody.
The vice president is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
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