The Congress-led opposition parties filed the first-ever vote of no-confidence in Indian Parliament history against Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday. Parties in India said that the chairman of the Rajya Sabha had treated the Treasury benches in a “biassed” manner by ignoring their demands. They asserted that the chair suppressed their voice and preferred the ruling party throughout House sessions.
Since the start of the winter, there have been frequent disruptions in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, the two houses of parliament. The grand old party persisted in its outburst against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led administration on a number of topics, while the BJP escalated its attack on Congress leadership for their purported ties to “anti-India” George Soros.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh declared that the resolution had been sent to the Rajya Sabha’s secretary-general, despite the fact that it is anticipated to be defeated due to the strength of MPs from both the government and opposition parties. The opposition was forced to take this action, he claimed, in the “interest of parliamentary democracy.”
Let’s examine the constitutional clauses and the procedures involved in the no-confidence motion that has been filed against the vice president. As the Rajya Sabha’s ex-officio chairman, the vice president of India is responsible for overseeing the House and maintaining order during meetings. Although they are eligible for reelection, the vice president serves a five-year tenure.
Article 67(b) of the Constitution outlines the procedures for ousting the vice president. To be removed, a resolution must be approved by the Rajya Sabha and approved by the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha Chairman may be removed at the discretion of the members of Parliament, as the Constitution does not specify any particular grounds for doing so. Similar to the notice period an employee must spend in a professional workplace before quitting a corporation, a 14-day notice period must be given prior to proposing a resolution for the Chair’s dismissal. The purpose of the lawmaker who is bringing the motion against the vice president must be made explicit in the notification. It needs to explain why.
Presently, the no-confidence motion against the Rajya Sabha Chairman has been supported by all opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Samajwadi Party (SP). They have signed the motion, which was moved under Article 67(B) of the Constitution.
