Amidst ongoing parliamentary stalemates, the opposition has now rallied against the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar. They have brought a no-confidence motion seeking his removal. This proposal was submitted to the Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha at exactly 1:37 PM with signatures from 60 members.
According to sources, opposition parties have introduced the proposal under Article 67-B of the Constitution, demanding the Vice President's removal, who also serves as the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. Notably, neither Sonia Gandhi nor any floor leaders of the parties have signed it.
The proposal was delivered to the Secretary-General by Congress's Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari, alongside Trinamool Congress's Nadeem Ul Haq and Sagarika Ghosh. The opposition accuses the Chairman of bias, citing instances where treasury bench members were allowed to speak, while opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge was interrupted.
Source: aajtak
Jairam Ramesh took to social media platform X, accusing the Rajya Sabha Chairman of biased proceedings. He mentioned that India's component parties had no choice but to formally bring a no-confidence motion.
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Calling the decision to bring this motion painful, Jairam Ramesh stated it was an unprecedented step for parliamentary democracy’s interest. This proposal marks a first in India's parliamentary history, suggesting a Vice President’s removal through such means.
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BJD distances from No-Confidence Motion
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has distanced itself from the no-confidence motion against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. BJD's Rajya Sabha MP, Dr. Sasmit Patra, stated that the motion was a product of the India Block. He clarified BJD is not part of this block and will remain neutral.
Procedure for Bringing a No-Confidence Motion
A no-confidence motion can be brought in Rajya Sabha under Article 67-B with at least 50 members signing it, aiming to remove the Vice President. As per rules, the motion should be submitted to the Secretary-General 14 days beforehand. If passed by a majority of attending Rajya Sabha members, it goes to the Lok Sabha for further consent.
