New Delhi: The uneasy relations between Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Opposition parties once again surfaced on Thursday, as Jagdeep Dhankhar left the House for a while after heated arguments with TMC leader Derek O'Brien and some other Opposition MPs who were disallowed to raise the issue of disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics. Following the commotion, the INDIA bloc members walked out from the Rajya Sabha.
Soon after the listed papers were tabled in the House in the morning, Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge stood up to raise Ms Phogat's issue, who was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight and sought to know "who is behind" it. However, Mr Dhankhar did not allow him to raise the issue.
"It is an important issue. It is not an issue of a particular individual," Mr Kharge said. However, Mr Dhankhar did not allow the Leader of the Opposition to raise the issue and went ahead with the scheduled Zero Hour listings.
Amid the din, Mr O'Brien stood up to raise his point but could not be heard because of the uproar in the House.
Responding to Mr O’Brien, Mr Dhankhar cautioned the TMC member, saying "You are shouting at the Chair. Your conduct is the ugliest in the House. I condemn your actions. Next time I will show you the door."
As the uproar continued, the Opposition parties staged a walkout. "They (the Opposition) think they are all wise. They think they are the only ones whose hearts are bleeding. The entire nation is in pain because of our girl. The entire nation is feeling the pain, from the President to the Prime Minister to myself and many more. Everyone is sharing that situation, but to... politicise it is the greatest disrespect to that girl. That girl has a long way to go," Mr Dhankhar said.
The Leader of the House and BJP president J.P. Nadda also condemned the behaviour of the Opposition members towards the Chair. He accused the Congress party of politicising the Phogat disqualification issue.
"The Opposition does not have a solid issue to discuss," he said.
Mr Nadda also emphasised the whole country is behind Ms Phogat and even the Prime Minister has described the wrestler as a “champion of champions".
After Mr Nadda spoke, Mr Dhankhar expressed his anguish over the conduct of the Opposition members and left the House, saying he was not in a position to remain in the House for the time being.
Before leaving the Rajya Sabha, Mr Dhankhar said the behaviour of the Opposition members has crossed all limits by creating anarchy in the House and disrespecting the prestige of the Chair.
"They are not challenging me. They are challenging the post of Chairman. And they are challenging the Chair, as they think that the person who is sitting on this Chair is not capable," he said.
Mr Dhankhar rued that he did not get the desired support from the House despite making all efforts.
"I am not running away from the oath. But what I have seen today, the way a member has behaved, the way the Opposition benches have conducted, I am not finding myself in a position to sit here for some time," the chairman said, adding he was leaving the House "with a heavy heart".
After Mr Dhankhar left the House, deputy Chairman Harivansh chaired the Zero Hour proceedings. Later, Mr Dhankhar chaired the Question Hour.
After returning to the Chair, Mr Dhankhar said when a scene is created in the House and it becomes the epicentre of disruption for the entire nation, then it is a bounden duty to sometimes take a tough decision.
"I left my seat to introspect. Having witnessed (the scene)...which I found unprecedented and indigestible," Mr Dhankhar said, adding he will be "walking away from the oath" if he does not take tough decisions.
The Chairman also informed the House that he has called a meeting of floor leaders at 1.30 pm to discuss the matter.
