New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Friday until December 16 following heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches over a no-confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. The proceedings, which have been disrupted by the Adani issue and the no-trust motion, were halted during the first hour of the session.
Before adjourning the House at 11.45 am, Chairman Dhankhar defended himself, stating, "I am a farmer's son, and I will not show weakness." He accused the Opposition of targeting him as part of a broader campaign. "Day in and day out, there is only a campaign against the Chairman. It’s not against me but the category I belong to," he asserted.
He acknowledged the Opposition's constitutional right to bring a motion against him but accused them of deviating from Constitutional provisions. "I am personally pained that the main Opposition party has made this a blitz campaign against the Chairman," he said.
Chairman Dhankhar appealed to both Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the House J.P. Nadda to meet him in his chamber to resolve the deadlock. "Khargeji, please accept my request and meet me in my chamber today. I am making the same appeal to the Leader of the House," he said.
However, Kharge, visibly upset, retorted, "How can I respect you? You are insulting me," before the Chair adjourned proceedings.
The ruckus began when BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal raised a point of order, detailing procedures for the no-confidence motion against the Vice-President, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman. He criticised the motion, describing it as an "insult to the nation, the Vice-President, and farmers." Agrawal alleged that Congress had a history of "insulting Presidents and Vice-Presidents" and accused the party of undermining constitutional values.
Agrawal also demanded action against the 60 Opposition MPs who signed the motion, filing a breach of privilege notice against them. Supporting him, BJP MPs Surendra Singh Nagar and Neeraj Shekhar accused Congress of being "anti-farmer" and "anti-OBC," asserting that the party does not want the sons of farmers, Dalits, or the poor to progress.
In response, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari pointed out that while Dhankhar is a "son of a farmer," Leader of the Opposition Kharge is a "son of a farm labourer and a Dalit" who was not allowed to speak. Tiwari's comments came after Dhankhar permitted him to speak, further escalating the debate.
With both sides locked in a war of words, the Chairman adjourned the House, urging dialogue between leaders to end the impasse. The session is now scheduled to resume on December 16.
