NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday reprimanded the opposition for continuous sloganeering and demands to suspend business for discussing Adani group allegations, along with situations in Sambhal and Manipur.
Dhankhar slammed the opposition MPs and accused them of “weaponising” the rule of suspension of business to disrupt the normal working of the house.
“Honorable members, these issues have been raised repetitively during the week with the results that we have already lost 3 days of working. The days that should have been committed by us for public pose. There should have been a vindication of our oath that we perform our duties as expected,” Dhankar said.
“The loss of time, the loss of opportunity by not having Question hour has given us enormous setbacks to the people at large. Now, I find members, and I call upon you for deep reflection. Rule 267 is being weaponized as a mechanism of disruption from our normal working,” he added.
Dhankhar also accused the opposition MPs for setting up a bad precedent and dishonouring the people of the country.
“There are very senior members. This cannot be appreciated. I express my deep anguish. My absolute pain. We are creating a very bad precedent. We are dishonouring the people of this country. We are not coming up to the expectations,” Dhankhar said.
“Our actions are not people centric. They are to absolute public distaste. We are getting into irrelevance. People are ridiculing us. We have virtually become laughing stock. I appeal to you. I appeal to you. Please,” he added.
Despite this, Congress and along with other opposition parties pressed for a debate, eventually leading to adjournment of the house for the day within less than 15 minutes of the House commencing business.
Other notices under Rule 267, which seeks to suspend the listed business to address urgent matters, included demands for discussions on ongoing violence in Manipur, clashes in UP’s Sambhal district, and special aid for flood-hit Wayanad district in Kerala.