Dhankhar's resignation sparks buzz: Opposition not on same page? Priyanka Chaturvedi ‘fact checks' Jairam Ramesh
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi early Tuesday took aim at attempts to paint Dhankhar's tenure as balanced, pushing back against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's defence of the outgoing Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Without naming Ramesh directly, Chaturvedi quoted the Congress general secretary's claim that he 'took both the Government and the Opposition to task in equal measure' and dismissed it as false, reminding critics that the Opposition had once been compelled to bring a no-confidence motion against him.
— priyankac19 (@priyankac19)
Ramesh, reacting to Dhankhar's sudden resignation on Monday evening, described the move as 'shocking' and 'inexplicable'. He said, 'Mr. Dhankar took both the Government and the Opposition to task in equal measure.'
However, on early Tuesday, Chaturvedi quickly contradicted that claim with a sharp rebuttal on social media. 'Fact check: Incorrect. Reminder: Opposition was forced to file a no confidence motion against the chair because of the partisan manner of conduct.
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Let's at least not forget that, just because, the moment has come as a surprise,' she posted.
Ramesh, meanwhile, has suggested that Dhankhar's resignation involved more than just health concerns. In two detailed statements across Monday evening and Tuesday morning, Ramesh recounted events that he believed pointed to deeper tensions.
He highlighted how Dhankhar had chaired the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) at 12:30 PM on Monday, where most members, including JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju, were present.
A follow-up meeting was scheduled for 4:30 PM but both Nadda and Rijiju failed to attend without informing Dhankhar personally. 'Rightly he took umbrage and rescheduled the BAC for today at 1 PM,' Ramesh said.
He added, 'So something very serious happened yesterday between 1 PM and 4:30 PM to account for the deliberate absence.' While stating that the health reasons cited by Dhankhar must be respected, Ramesh noted, 'It is also a fact that there are far deeper reasons for his resignation.'
Ramesh praised Dhankhar for speaking up 'fearlessly' on issues such as farmers' welfare and judicial accountability and for trying, 'to the extent possible under the current G2 ruling regime,' to accommodate the opposition. 'Shri Jagdeep Dhankar's resignation speaks highly of him. It also speaks poorly of those who had got him elected as Vice President in the first instance,' he concluded.
Dhankhar, 74, had undergone angioplasty recently and had served as Vice President since August 2022. His sudden exit came on the first day of the monsoon session, catching many in Parliament off guard.
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