Oppn, Dhankhar walk out of RS over Vinesh Phogat disqualification

The uneasy relations between Rajya Sabha Chairman and Opposition parties once again surfaced on Thursday, as Jagdeep Dhankhar left the House after heated clashes with Trinamool Congress leader and some other Opposition MPs who were not permitted to raise the issue of disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics.

Trouble started in the morning session when Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the Phogat disqualification issue but Chairman Dhankhar did not allow it. This followed an angry exchange between the Chair and TMC leader Derek O'Brien.

"It is an important issue. It is not an issue of a particular individual," Kharge said soon after the listed papers were tabled in the House.

He wanted to know "who is behind" the disqualification.

However, Dhankhar did not allow Kharge to raise the issue and went ahead with the scheduled Zero Hour listings.

In the meantime, Derek O'Brien stood up to raise his point, but could not be heard because of uproar in the House.

To this Dhankar cautioned the TMC member, saying "You are shouting at the Chair. Your conduct is ugliest in the House. I condemn your actions. Next time I will show you the door".

As uproar continued, Opposition parties staged a walkout.

"They (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. 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... politicize it is the greatest disrespect to that girl. That girl has a long way to go," Dhankhar said.

Leader of the House and BJP president J P Nadda also condemned the behaviour of Opposition members towards the Chair and also accused the Congress party of politicising the Phogat disqualification issue.

"Opposition does not have a solid issue to discuss," he said.

Nadda emphasised the whole country is behind Phogat and even the Prime Minister has described the wrestler as 'champion of champions'.

After Nadda spoke, Dhankhar expressed his anguish on the conduct of 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, 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 the Chairman. And they are challenging the Chair, as they think that the person who is sitting on this Chair is not capable," he said.

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 bench has conducted, I am not finding myself in a position to sit here for sometime," Dhankar said, adding he was leaving the House "with a heavy heart".

After Dhankhar left the House, Deputy Chairman Harivansh chaired the Zero Hour proceedings.

Dhankhar later chaired the Question Hour.

After returning to the Chair, he 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 was unprecedented, and indigestible," Dhankhar said, adding he would be "walking away from the oath" if he does not take tough decisions.

The Chairman also informed that he has called a meeting of floor leaders at 1:30 PM to discuss the matter.