New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed heated exchange between Vice President and ex officio Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge over certain comments made by senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.
As Congress Party’s Pramod Tiwari was speaking on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, certain remarks by Jairam Ramesh agitated the Rajya Sabha Chairman who taunted him for speaking on behalf of Kharge.
“You are so intelligent, so gifted, so talented, you should immediately come and take seat in place of Mr Kharge. Because by and large you are doing his job,” Dhankhar said.
Kharge took strong objection to this and alleged that it was the “Varna System” (class system) mentality which leads to such comments (by the Chairman).
“You have Varna system in your mind. That’s why you are saying he is so intelligent and I am dull,” retorted Kharge.
The Chairman, however, clarified that he never meant what Kharge decided to understand.
“No..No ..please sit down Kharge Ji. One second please.. Kharge Ji you could not understand what I meant. I respect you. Even if you have a fraction of the respect I have for you..ask yourself.
“I said that you have 56 years of experience (in politics). At every step, Jairam Ramesh makes comment and wants to help you. See, just now. There is a problem which you have to sort out,” he explained.
Kharge, at this point, was agitated and got up from his seat and pointed at Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi seated next to him, and stated, “The person who has made me what I am is sitting right here (Sonia Gandhi). Neither (Jairam) Ramesh nor you can make me what I am. People have made me.”
Chairman Dhankhar responded to this saying he doesn’t want to come down to that level.
“Please listen to me carefully. You cannot run down every time the Chair. You cannot every time show disrespect to the Chair. You stand up suddenly and say anything. You don’t even understand (what I am saying).
“Never in the history of this country, never in the history of Parliamentary democracy, and Rajya Sabha proceedings there has been such disregard of the Chair as has been from you,” Dhankhar pointed out.
