Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and TMC MP Derek O’Brien.
The Opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha over the issue of Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics.
A furor erupted in the Rajya Sabha (India’s upper house) on Thursday over wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics. As opposition leaders began seeking permission to speak on the matter, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien started shouting in the House, drawing the ire of Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar.
#WATCH | Opposition parties walk out of Rajya Sabha over Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from Paris Olympics. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said, “…They (opposition parties) think that only they are hurting… The entire nation is suffering…” pic.twitter.com/XTyrldhgla
— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024
Rajya Sabha Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar suspended his Speaker duties in the Assembly for some time and walked to the House floor saying he was “not getting the support he deserved”.
“Turning this sacred Parliament into a centre of anarchy, attacking Indian democracy and undermining the dignity of the office of the Speaker is not just vulgar but crosses all limits. What I have seen in the last few days, how many false statements have been made through words, letters and newspapers,” he said.
Addressing Parliament during the monsoon session, he explained, “The challenge is not against me, it is against the post of the Speaker. And this challenge is being made because they (the opposition) think that the person holding the post does not deserve it. They (the opposition) think that they are the only ones who are hurting. The entire country is suffering because of this girl. Everyone shares in this situation but to monetise it, to politicise it is the biggest insult to the girl. She has a long way to go.”
He reprimanded the lawmaker and said, “How dare you shout at the Speaker, how dare the senior leaders not take notice. Your behaviour is the ugliest in Parliament. Next time I will throw you out.”
He reminded senators of the dark times during the Emergency and said, “We know how it starts. It starts with a challenge to parliamentary democracy.” Eventually, the Opposition Leader walked out of the House.
Jagdeep Dhankhar later said: “What happened in the House was unprecedented and unacceptable. It is our duty to take tough decisions.”
Similar scenes were seen on Wednesday when opposition members of the Senate shouted slogans demanding justice for wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after being found to be overweight ahead of the 50kg final, walked out of Parliament after not being allowed to speak about the case.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised the conduct of Opposition members, including Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing them of “challenging” the Speaker’s authority and “abdicating their constitutional duties”.
‘Opposition has no solid issues to debate’: JP Nadda
BJP national president JP Nadda said the Opposition has no solid issues to debate. He said, “The entire country is behind Vinesh Phogat. This is not an Opposition or Centre issue. It is a national issue and the entire country is behind her. When the Prime Minister called her a champion of champions, we felt it was the voice of 1.4 billion Indians. The Opposition has no solid issues to debate.”
