Kharge determined to have his way at cost of Constitution: Jagdeep Dhankhar

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday deplored the conduct of the Opposition party members in the House, saying Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was determined to have his way at the cost of the Constitution.

The Upper House, which was adjourned sine die ahead of schedule in the afternoon, witnessed sloganeering and heated exchanges earlier in the day with the Opposition members walking out after their demand for an apology from BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari for purportedly insulting Kharge last week, was struck down by Dhankhar.

The Chairman also had a heated exchange of words with actor-politician and SP member Jaya Bachchan who objected to Dhankhar's "tone" during the Question Hour.

There was uproar in the Upper House after Congress member Jairam Ramesh raised the matter that Tiwari apologised to Kharge for his 'parivarvaad' remark but the Chairman rejected saying the matter was already settled in a meeting between Kharge and Tiwari in his chamber and the BJP member had actually praised the Leader of Opposition.

As the Opposition stuck to their demands, Leader of the House Jagat Prakash Nadda said the whole country stands with the Chairman and termed their behaviour as "highly indecent and irresponsible", saying they have stooped so low in politics that while opposing a party, opposing an individual, they are now opposing the nation.

Amid sloganeering, Dhankhar said, "Kharge you are determined to have your way at the cost of the Constitution, you are doing it. It is lack of decorum, disrespect to democracy, disrespect to the Constitution, you are walking away from your obligations, you are walking away from your duty, they don't want to participate, they know only how to create chaos, I am surprised, absolutely, the nation is a priority, the nation is always first..." Nadda said the entire leadership of the Opposition is inclined for the House not to function, adding that it should apologise for today's behaviour.

Referring to the Opposition benches, Nadda said, "The behaviour of that side is highly indecent and irresponsible. I can very clearly see that they have stooped so low in politics that while opposing a party, opposing an individual, they are now opposing the nation".

He further asked if the agenda of the national and regional parties in the Opposition has also become one of weakening the nation as they echoed those of divisive forces who want to break the country, divide it and plunge it into problems.

He was joined by Agriculture Minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who said he has never seen such "immoderate and indecent behaviour" by an Opposition in his decades-long Parliamentary career, terming it an "insult" of the Constitution and democratic values.

Chouhan said the Opposition proved that they were trying to plunge the country into anarchy with their behaviour in the house, while also reiterating the demand for an apology by the Opposition for their unruly conduct in the house.

Invoking Emergency, Dhankhar said, "It is very timely 2025 will be 50th anniversary of that (Emergency). I want every young Indian to know the dangers of these activities these are not ordinary disruptions, these are not ordinary disturbances.

'They are a mechanism to throttle debate, mechanism to insult democratic values and I therefore appeal through you to everyone in the country, let the message go, that what they have done is trivialising democracy, institutions, for just a petty gain at the cost of the nation." PTI