I would have violated my oath if I had not responded to the UPA chairman’s statement. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar
Friday, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar defended his statements on Sonia Gandhi’s “delegitimize judiciary” remark, claiming that he would have violated his oath and failed to fulfil his constitutional duty if he had not responded.
Dhankhar stated that he was subjected to the “allegation that he was part of a system to delegitimize the court” and that the Chair cannot be dragged on the partition issue.
The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha further stated that his answer to Gandhi’s remark in the Upper House was restrained and could not have been more “moderate and representative of the highest level” He stated that his reaction in the House was “the lowest degree of emotion” and that he was unable to prevent it.
After the papers were laid before the House, senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwai raised a point of order on the matter, and his senior colleague and leader of the opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, stated, “If a Lok Sabha member (Sonia Gandhi) speaks outside, the matter should not be discussed in Rajya Sabha. If the Chair makes a comment, it is regrettable. “This has never occurred” “… He (Tiwari) has cited several judgements that are against this procedure.
Therefore, sir, everything stated here must be erased and retracted. Please delete it,” Kharge said, adding that a poor precedent will be set if the Chair’s remarks are not removed.
Union Minister and House Leader Piyush Goyal stated that even though the UPA chairwoman is a member of the other House (Lok Sabha), she chose to cast “aspersions” on the position of Chairman. “The response given was incredibly fitting. It is the duty of the entire chamber to uphold the dignity and high constitutional authority of the Speaker, he stated.
Insisting that high constitutional powers should be respected, Goyal asked Kharge to consider if the remarks were made in good taste and whether they were suitable and necessary in the first place, whether they were made within or outside the House. K Keshava Rao (TRS) and Tiruchi Siva (DMK) also provided commentary on the matter.
Dhankhar stated, “…The remarks pertained to what I stated from this chair on December 8.” The observations were so harsh that the ruling party might recruit the Rajya Sabha chairman and vice president to undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary. If I take an evasive approach to such a declaration, I will create a shameful chapter for myself and this chamber,” he warned.
Dhankhar stated that if he had not replied, there would have been “demeaning consequences” and an impression would have been sent that this Chair was complicit in a “malicious and diabolical plot” by the government to undermine the legitimacy of the court.
“Delegitimizing the judiciary signifies the end of democracy. These partisan conflicts must be resolved independently,” he said. After conducting “extensive research” with everyone “who knows the matter,” Dhankhar determined, “If I do not react, I will be violating my oath and evading my constitutional duty.” Dhankhar stated that the UPA chair’s remark that “a disturbing new development is a calculated endeavour to deligitimise the judiciary” was her perception, which she is free to utter in her area, and that this remark does not pertain to him.
He objected, however, to her additional statement that “ministers and even senior constitutional authorities have been mobilised to deliver speeches criticising the judiciary on numerous grounds.” “This office must not be pulled down by partition stance. He added that neither you nor they can recruit me to undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary.
Dhankhar stated that he was accused of being part of a conspiracy to undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary. This signifies the death knell for democracy. The chairman of the Rajya Sabha stated, “In every word I spoke on that particular day, I appealed to the members, stating that you are better prepared than anybody else to foster harmony between the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches.”
Dhankhar asserted that he had made it clear that these institutions must collaborate in order for democracy to flourish. He added that he “appealed with sovereignty across the party spectrum to all leaders, urging them to keep their political views separate from their constitutional positions.” On December 22, Dhankhar deemed unacceptable remarks made by UPA chairperson Gandhi that the government is attempting to “deligitimise the judiciary” and advised political leaders not to politicise high constitutional offices.
As delegitimizing the court is beyond his imagination, he also stated that Gandhi’s comment was far off from his thoughts.
Gandhi, who is also the head of the Congress Parliamentary Party, had on December 21 characterised the Centre’s move to “delegitimize” the court as a “worrisome new step”
She had also accused the government of attempting to diminish the judiciary’s prestige in the general public’s eyes.
“A disturbing new development is the ongoing effort to undermine the legitimacy of the courts. Ministers and even a high constitutional authority have been enlisted to attack the courts on numerous grounds, she had previously stated.
