Opposition MPs walk out of RS after Kharge denied permission to speak on Vinesh Phogat

NEW DELHI — Opposition members in Rajya Sabha shouted slogans demanding justice for wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after being found overweight ahead of her 50kg final match, and walked out of the House after they were denied permission to speak on the issue.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised the conduct of opposition members, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing them of “questioning” the chair and “walking out on their constitutional duty”.

During the discussion on Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2024 and Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No 3) Bill, 2024, the opposition members kept sloganeering demanding justice for Phogat but Dhankhar said nothing would go on record.

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Kharge said he wants to speak with the chair’s permission on an issue to which Dhankhar responded that he had declined the permission and the debate would continue.

Dhankhar said that LoP wanted the chair to interrupt the debate without taking recourse to any rule and shared his message seeking permission to take the floor without spelling out the issue.

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After the members walked out, Dhankhar said their act was “indecorous, undignified, challenging the authority of chair”.

“An LoP, an important fulcrum in Parliamentary democracy… so painful. I have no words to take exception to such kind of conduct,” Dhankhar said

He said the kind of sloganeering seen in the House is not resorted to even in the worst of the situation.

Dhankhar said that he had sent a blank paper to the LoP to mention his subject on which he wanted to speak.

“Shri Pramod Tiwari is seated next to the LoP and is a deputy leader of the main opposition party. They ruled this country for quite long and should be fully in the know of rules of procedure, rules of conduct,” he said.

Dhankhar read out the note which mentioned the LoP’s request to raise an emergent issue impacting countrymen and a short intervention time.

“Nothing is spelt out. This kind of approach is to take the platform only to earn brownie political points. This is a very important theatre of dialogue, debate and discussion. I take an exceptional stance towards a trend that is emerging to challenge the chair every time,” he said.

Dhankhar said the people of the country will be shocked at the conduct of the MPs sent to Rajya Sabha to show responsibility and respect for the constitution.

“What we saw was beyond anything. In challenging the authority of the chair, trying to make it free fall for everyone. For the Leader of Opposition to be doing so, it is painful,” Dhankhar said.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman said no institution or society will bear “unruly conduct”.

“These are dangerous practices that threaten the very fundamentals of democracy. Trust me, if we don’t search our soul, we do not counsel our friends, we will be doing the greatest disservice to democracy.

“If LoP can be the epicentre of it, what could be more painful than this? Whomsoever sits in the chair has to be respected,” Dhankhar said.

He said that all parties that have walked out of the House have done it without rationally examining the damage they have done to the House.

“To engage day in and day out to run down the authority of the chair, to take the chair light-heartedly. Through each of you, I wish to finally appeal to them, they must reflect, they must introspect, they must search their soul…,” Dhankhar said.

The Rajya Sabha chairman expressed “deep pain” over the conduct of the opposition members and said that those who walked out from the House had walked out of their constitutional duty.

Read more: This is cruel, biggest heartbreak: India in shock after Phogat’s disqualification from Olympics