The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Thursday till 11 am on December 13 due to repeated disruptions. Earlier in the day, the proceedings were suspended until 2 pm, but when the House reconvened in the afternoon, the uproar continued as opposition members pressed for discussions on various notices they had submitted. The session was adjourned once again within half an hour due to the ongoing disturbances.
The chaos stemmed from a motion brought by the opposition demanding the impeachment of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda sharply criticized the motion, claiming it set a dangerous precedent that could undermine India’s democratic system.
Leader of the House JP Nadda responded to the developments, condemning the opposition for criticizing the Chairman. He emphasized that the Chairman’s rulings, particularly regarding admissibility of notices, cannot be questioned. He labeled such actions as contempt of the House, calling out Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge for his press conference remarks against the Chair. “The Chair cannot be questioned regarding admissibility or any other purpose. To do so is contempt of the House and the Chairman. It is very sad that Mallikarjun Kharge, a senior leader, criticized the Chair. This sets a wrong tradition,” Nadda said.
Nadda also addressed Kharge’s allegations that he had not been given the opportunity to speak in the House. He said that Kharge had been invited by the Chairman to participate but had not attended the last Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, which he claimed reflected Kharge’s lack of interest in democratic processes.
Furthermore, Nadda accused Congress of attempting to discredit constitutional values by calling the Chairman a “cheerleader” and mocking him in a video circulated by a Congress leader. He alleged that Congress had little respect for constitutional processes.
The situation escalated when Nadda suggested that the press conference by Kharge was an effort to divert attention from the relationship between Congress and George Soros.
In response, Kharge rejected Nadda’s comments as a diversion tactic. As the debate continued, the Chairman intervened, asking Kharge if he had accepted the invitation to the chamber. The House was subsequently adjourned again until 2 pm.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha had also failed to function due to uproar from both the Treasury and Opposition benches over the no-confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
(With inputs from ANI)
