RS dy chairman dismisses opposition's notice seeking V-P Dhankhar's removal

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh on Thursday dismissed the impeachment notice given by the opposition seeking the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar while ruling it as an act of impropriety, being severely flawed and drawn in haste to mar his reputation, sources said.

In his ruling, which was tabled in the House by Rajya Sabha secretary general P C Mody, the deputy chairman said the impeachment notice is part of a design to denigrate the nation's constitutional institutions and malign the incumbent Vice President, the sources said.

At least 60 opposition members had signed the notice for removal of Dhankhar from his post on December 10, alleging that they did not have trust in him and that he was "biased".

The deputy chairman ruled that the gravity of this "personally targeted" notice which is bereft of facts and aimed at securing publicity.

He also held that the notice was a "misadventure" in "deliberate trivialising and demeaning" of the high constitutional office of the Vice President of the largest democracy.

Worrisomely for the prestige of Parliament and its members, the notice is replete with assertions only to malign the incumbent Vice President, the deputy chairman ruled, the sources added.

The deputy chairman was entrusted to deal with the notice after Chairman Dhankhar recused himself from it.