Ten days after 60 MPs from the INDIA bloc filed a notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking a resolution for the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Deputy Chairman Harivansh dismissed the motion on Thursday, calling it “severely flawed” and stating that it did not comply with the 14-day notice requirement. He further remarked that the notice was “drawn in haste and hurry” to “mar the reputation” of Dhankhar and undermine the constitutional institution.
In his ruling, Harivansh stated that the petition appeared to be aimed at “setting a narrative” against the Vice President and the office of the Vice President itself. He noted that the opposition MPs knew well that the resolution could not be introduced during the ongoing session, which concludes on December 20, because Article 67(b) mandates that a 14-day notice be given for a resolution seeking the removal of the Vice President. The notice was submitted on December 10.
The Deputy Chairman criticized the motion for being “casual and cavalier,” pointing out several flaws, such as the absence of an addressee, an incorrect spelling of the Vice President’s name throughout the petition, missing documents, and reliance on unverified media reports. He further emphasized that the notice was primarily focused on tarnishing Dhankhar’s reputation, particularly referencing events since his assumption of office in August 2022.
Harivansh also questioned the motives behind the motion, claiming it lacked “bona fide” intent and appeared to be part of a broader effort to generate publicity at the cost of undermining the constitutional office. He remarked that the Opposition’s actions seemed to be a “calculated attempt” to discredit the Vice President, the first from the agricultural community to hold such a position in independent India.
The Deputy Chairman referred to the press conference held by Opposition leaders on December 11, where they raised concerns about the delay in the processing of the notice. Harivansh suggested that this was part of a coordinated media campaign to create a false impression of inaction. He noted that Kharge’s statements and the subsequent social media campaign only reinforced the idea that the Opposition’s actions were part of a deliberate strategy to “denigrate the nation’s constitutional institutions.”
Harivansh also recalled a similar situation in September 2020 when former Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected an Opposition notice seeking his removal. He explained that the gravity of the notice targeting Dhankhar, without any solid evidence, was a calculated move to trivialize and demean the Vice President’s office.
The Deputy Chairman concluded by stating that the motion, which was “severely flawed” and hastily drawn up, was intended to “damage the reputation” of the Vice President and undermine the institution of the office itself. Therefore, he dismissed the notice, ruling that it was an “act of impropriety.”
In the notice, the Opposition MPs had accused Dhankhar of being “explicitly partisan” in his handling of parliamentary proceedings and of acting as a spokesperson for the government in public forums. However, since the Opposition lacked the numbers to pass the resolution, the move appeared to be more symbolic, aimed at making a political point rather than achieving a successful outcome.