NDA has majority: Kiren Rijiju on no-confidence motion against Jagdeep Dhankhar

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Congress and its allies for “disrespecting the dignity of the Chair” after the Opposition bloc INDIA moved a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Rijiju accused the Opposition of repeatedly disregarding the Chair’s authority in both Houses of Parliament, asserting that the NDA has the majority in the Upper House. “The Congress party and their alliance continuously behaved wrongly by not following the direction of the Chair. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji comes from a humble background and has always worked for farmers’ and people’s welfare. We respect him and are happy with the way he guides the House,” Rijiju said, condemning the 60 MPs who signed the notice.

He added, “The NDA has the majority, and we all have faith in the Chairman.”

The Congress-led INDIA bloc submitted the no-confidence motion on Tuesday, citing “partisan functioning” by the Rajya Sabha Chairman.

The motion, signed by over 70 MPs from parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), alleges bias in the conduct of House proceedings.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the decision to move the motion was driven by Dhankhar’s “extremely partisan” handling of parliamentary debates. “All parties belonging to the INDIA group have had no option but to formally submit a no-confidence motion against the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha,” Ramesh said on X.

The Opposition accused Dhankhar of frequently interrupting speeches, particularly those of Congress President and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and denying adequate debate on critical issues. They alleged violations of parliamentary norms, including instances where Kharge’s microphone was turned off during his addresses.

The bloc also pointed to instances where Dhankhar allegedly made personal remarks against members, further fuelling their dissatisfaction. They argued that such conduct violated parliamentary conventions and displayed favouritism toward ruling party members during contentious debates.

The motion comes amid heightened tensions in Parliament, with disruptions on Monday and Tuesday over BJP accusations linking Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to billionaire George Soros and a media organisation funded by his foundation.

BJP MPs, led by party president JP Nadda, claimed these links “malign India and raise national security concerns”, demanding a discussion on the matter. The ongoing clashes have further polarised proceedings in both Houses, with the Opposition accusing the BJP of stalling discussions on issues such as farmers’ Minimum Support Price protests and communal violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.