Kharge declines V-P’s invite for meeting, says suspension of MPs ‘premeditated’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 25

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has told Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar that the mass suspension of MPs was “premeditated” and “weaponised” by the ruling party to sabotage Parliamentary practices as he declined the Chai’s invite for an interaction on Monday, saying he was not in Delhi.

Kharge was replying to a second letter on the disruption of parliamentary proceedings and the suspension of MPs by Vice President Dhankhar, who had alleged that the disorder by the Opposition in the House was deliberate and part of a strategy.

Move used as tool to undermine democracy

• In his letter to RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has alleged that the ruling party has “weaponised the suspension of MPs as a convenient tool to undermine democracy and throttle the Constitution”
• He said the Chairman's letter “unfortunately justifies the autocratic and arrogant attitude of the government towards Parliament”

In his letter on Saturday, Dhankar also said, “We need to move ahead”, and invited the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha for an interaction on December 25 “or a time of your convenience” at his official residence. The Congress president, in his reply dated December 24, said that he agrees with the Chairman that they need to move ahead but stressed that the “answer may not lie in a discussion in the Chairman's chambers, if the government is not keen on running the House”.

The Congress chief said he is currently out of Delhi and it would be his “privilege and duty” to meet the Chairman as soon as he is back. Replying to Dhankhar, Kharge alleged that the suspensions were “executed without any application of mind” and said as the custodian of the House, he should protect the people’s right to hold its government accountable in Parliament.

The Opposition leader alleged that the ruling party has “weaponised the suspension of MPs as a convenient tool to undermine democracy, sabotage Parliamentary practices and throttle the Constitution”. Kharge said the Chairman's letter “unfortunately justifies the autocratic and arrogant attitude of the government towards Parliament... if anything privilege motions have also been weaponised to muzzle the voice of the Opposition,” Kharge said.

“You have also mentioned that disorder was deliberate and strategised and predetermined. “"I would like to submit that if anything, it is the mass suspension of the Opposition MPs from both Houses of Parliament that seems to be predetermined and premeditated by the Government and I am most sorry to say, executed without any application of mind, as can be seen by the suspension of an INDIA party MP who was not even present in Parliament,” he said.

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