The Winter Session marks the first Parliamentary session over which the new Vice President, C P Radhakrishnan, is presiding as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. However, his felicitation on the first day also witnessed a heated exchange between the Leader of Opposition in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, and BJP members over the “sudden exit” of Radhakrishnan’s predecessor, former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The exchange followed when, during his welcome address to Radhakrishnan, Kharge referred to Dhankhar’s “completely unexpected and sudden exit from the office of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.”
“I hope you will not mind that I am constrained to refer to your predecessor’s completely unexpected and sudden exit from the office of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha,” he said, amid objections from BJP members. While expressing hope that the new Vice President would ensure the “fair and impartial conduct of proceedings of the House and provide just opportunities to members of each party, irrespective of whether they belong to the Opposition or the treasury benches,” Kharge added that he was “disheartened that the House did not get an opportunity to bid him farewell. Regardless, I wish him, on behalf of the entire Opposition, a very healthy life.”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Kharge for mentioning Dhankhar’s resignation on a “solemn occasion” meant for welcoming Radhakrishnan “This is a very solemn occasion. The Prime Minister has made very dignified remarks as part of the felicitation event. Why did the honourable Leader of Opposition refer to a matter that was not necessary to raise at this moment?” Rijiju said.
Leader of the House J P Nadda also sharply reacted, urging members to maintain the dignity of the occasion. Referring to the Opposition alliance’s loss in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, he suggested that Kharge should express the pain of losing polls to a doctor.“This programme is a pious occasion. We should maintain its dignity. The issue that the Leader of Opposition raised—if we start discussing it, it is irrelevant. We will also have to mention that you brought a no-confidence motion against him twice. It is an obstacle to the good and congenial environment of the debate taking place,” Nadda said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulating Radhakrishnan on assuming the Chair, described it as a proud moment for the House. He praised Radhakrishnan’s journey from a farmer’s family and his lifelong dedication to public service.
Assuring full cooperation from all members, he emphasised the importance of maintaining the dignity of the Rajya Sabha and its Chair. He expressed confidence that under Radhakrishnan’s leadership, the Upper House would continue to uphold the highest standards of functioning and decorum.
Earlier this year, Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation as Vice President, officially citing health reasons, with two years still left in his term, had triggered widespread speculation and conspiracy theories.