Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in a gathering with different occasion leaders in New Delhi on March 12, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on March 12, 2023 sought views of leaders of numerous political events on methods to curb disruptions in the House at a gathering held on the eve of the beginning of the second section of the Budget session.
Opposition members raised the problem of alleged misuse of central businesses in opposition to non-BJP governments and the transfer to nominate Mr. Dhankhar’s private employees on parliamentary committees.
Sources mentioned that in his interplay with ground leaders, Vice-President Dhankhar primarily flagged the problem of whether or not disruptions could be allowed and if members can have a “free fall of information” in the name of free speech in the House as envisaged in Article 105 of the Constitution.
The article offers with freedom of speech in Parliament with sure situations.
The first section of the Budget session was overshadowed by the Adani-Hindenburg subject because the Opposition disrupted proceedings demanding a JPC probe.
Mr. Dhankhar had been criticised by opposition events over his determination to delete some parts of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech from official data in Rajya Sabha.
“I can not permit Rajya Sabha to be an ‘akhara’ (wrestling area) totally free fall of data or allegations in opposition to anybody. Make a press release, you’re entitled to do it, however authenticate it, be accountable about it,” the vice president had said at an event in Bengaluru early this month.
Leader of House Piyush Goyal, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, DMK’s M Shanmugam, AAP’s Sanjay Singh and Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav were among those present at the Sunday meeting here.
AAP raised the issue of alleged misuse of investigative agencies and the Adani-Hindenburg matter.
Its leader and former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia has been recently arrested by the CBI and the ED in cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Former Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain is already in jail on charges of money laundering.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Kharge and Mr. Dhankhar later had a one-on-one meeting, the sources said.
Several floor leaders raised the issue of the appointment of Mr. Dhankhar’s personal staff on parliamentary committees.
The vice president responded by saying that the sole purpose behind the move was to achieve optimisation of human resources and output of committees.
The staffers were not participating members of the committee and are just there to assist, facilitate and provide research material, he was quoted as saying.
Mr. Dhankhar, sources said, asserted that he was committed to improving the functioning of the committees.
AAP’s Sanjay Singh told PTI that on behalf of his party he demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue and that the matter be discussed in the House.
He said he also flagged the “misuse” of central businesses in opposition to opposition leaders. He mentioned nearly all opposition events raised the Adani subject and the alleged focusing on of opposition leaders by central investigative businesses.
Mr. Dhankhar had convened a gathering of ground leaders forward of the second leg of the Budget session starting Monday.
