New Delhi: Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha and Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday strongly criticized Congress and its Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge for "demeaning" constitutional positions and "questioning the Chair" in the Rajya Sabha.
In his address to the Rajya Sabha, Nadda emphasized that the "Chair cannot be questioned" about admissibility and that the Chairman's ruling is beyond criticism. He asserted that such actions constitute "contempt of the House and the Chairman."
Expressing disappointment over Kharge's actions, Nadda condemned the criticism, calling it "condemnable and objectionable" and warned that it sets a dangerous precedent for future conduct. He stated that no amount of condemnation would be sufficient for this behavior.
During the speech, Opposition MPs continued to disrupt proceedings with sloganeering.
Addressing Kharge's claim of being denied an opportunity to speak, Nadda pointed out that the Chair had repeatedly sent letters to the Leader of Opposition inviting him to participate in the proceedings. Despite these invitations, Kharge had declined to attend and missed the last BSE meeting. Nadda highlighted that this showed a lack of respect for democratic traditions.
On Wednesday, Kharge, along with leaders from the INDIA bloc, had launched a strong attack on Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, accusing him of repeatedly stalling the House with his "headmaster-type attitude" and treating Parliament like a school. Kharge had also alleged that Dhankhar often acted as a "spokesperson for the ruling party," accusing the Chairman of partisan behavior.
Nadda responded by mentioning that the Congress's official social media handle had referred to the Chairman as "Chair Leader," criticizing the attempt to undermine the constitutional position of the Chair.
Nadda expressed concern over the way efforts have been made to "derogate and demean" a constitutional office, warning that such actions would not be forgiven by the country. He also criticized Congress for mocking the Chairman outside Parliament, referring to videos made by senior party leaders.
The Union Minister further questioned Congress’s commitment to constitutional processes, stating that the press conference held by Kharge showed an effort to divert attention from important national issues.
Additionally, Nadda raised concerns about Congress’s alleged connections with foreign forces, specifically questioning the relationship between senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and George Soros, whom he accused of funding efforts to destabilize India. He stated that the country deserves to know about these links.
Concluding his remarks, Nadda condemned the Opposition's actions, asserting that the BJP would not tolerate such criticisms of constitutional positions and warned that the country would not forgive the Congress party for these efforts.
Amidst ongoing chaos and sloganeering by the Opposition, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned until 2 p.m.
With IANS inputs