Efforts are on to divide country, insult its institutions: RS Chair

There is an ongoing effort to divide the country and insult its institutions which must be defeated, vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar said in Jaipur on Wednesday

There is an ongoing effort to divide the country and insult its institutions which must be defeated, vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar said in Jaipur on Wednesday, in his first public comments after the Opposition submitted a notice to move a motion to remove the Rajya Sabha chairman.

Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar was speaking at a function to launch a skill development centre in Jaipur, where he also called for balance in society. (PTI)

The notice, which was signed by around 60 INDIA bloc members on Tuesday, marked an unprecedented escalation in the bitterness between the government and the Opposition that has jammed the ongoing monsoon session.

“There are some forces in the country, and outside which are unable to digest India’s progress. There is a well-planned effort going on to disintegrate the country, divide the country and insult its institutions. We must neutralise every anti-national narrative,” he said.

To be sure, Dhankhar didn’t directly refer to the notice during his speech in Jaipur. He has not made any other remark on the developments, but in response to Jairam Ramesh’s comment in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the move was intended to save the institution, Dhankhar said, “I don’t know who you are trying to save.”

This is the first attempt to remove the chairman of the Upper House, but it is unlikely to succeed given the Opposition’s diminished numbers in the Rajya Sabha. Attempts to remove the Lok Sabha Speaker have come before the Lower House three times but have failed.

Dhankhar was speaking at a function to launch a skill development centre in Jaipur, where he also called for balance in society. “We have rights, but along with rights we must also have a sense of duty,” he said.

He said India was currently the fifth-largest economy in the world and will be in the third position in a year or two, adding that Viksit Bharat (developed India) was no longer a dream, but a goal.

The Opposition’s notice was based on Article 67(b) of the Constitution, which says that such a resolution cannot be moved unless a notice of at least 14 days has been provided. The notice was signed by about 60 lawmakers and was submitted to the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha, PC Mody, on Tuesday.

As per Article 67 (b) of the Constitution, a vice-president may be removed from his office by a resolution passed by a simple majority of the Rajya Sabha and agreed to by the Lok Sabha. The procedure outlined in Articles 67 (b), 92, and 100 of the Constitution begins with a resolution introduced in the Rajya Sabha, which requires a majority of 50% of the members present plus one on the day of voting. If approved, the resolution moves to the Lok Sabha, where it must be passed by a simple majority to take effect.

The Opposition bloc does not have a majority in either House.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put up a spirited defence of Dhankhar both in the House and outside. No business could be taken up in the Upper House on Wednesday as the government and the Opposition continued to trade accusations, the former alleging links between the Congress leadership and billionaire George Soros and the latter accusing the Centre of unduly favouring Adani group.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union parliamentary minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Opposition for disrespecting the Chair. He said the move to remove the V-P was an attempt to “defame and insult” the Jat community and the move itself was to deflect attention from the Gandhi family’s alleged “links” with Soros.

The Opposition protested against the minister’s statement and the House adjourned within minutes of gathering. Later, Leader of the House JP Nadda accused the Congress of having links with Soros, and said the party should clarify why it stands with the Soros-funded Forum of Democratic Leaders - Asia Pacific ( FD-LAP).

He also condemned the Congress for the Opposition’s notice against Dhankhar and dubbed it a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from the issue of “ties between Sonia Gandhi and Soros”.

“In the last two days we have been raising the issue of the connection between George Soros and the senior leadership of the Congress. What is the relation between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros? This is the matter of the nation’s internal and external security. This is also the matter of India’s sovereignty,” Nadda said.

Even as the Opposition shouted slogans and protested, Nadda said the move to remove the V-P should be condemned. The House was then adjourned for the day.