Oppn plans to seek Vice-President Dhankhar’s ouster

The antagonism between opposition parties and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has reached a point where the opposition is considering bringing a resolution for the removal of the vice-president, who also serves as chairman of the upper House, sources said.
With the end of monsoon session last week, opposition parties are now planning to work on the modalities for this unprecedented move. Sources said 87 members have signed on the proposal to initiate action against Dhankhar.
The parties have started collating documentary material of instances in the House where Dhankhar has been “partisan in his actions”. “He has also overruled norms and procedures to the advantage of the treasury benches, when the chair should be seen as a neutral umpire who must uphold the dignity of the constitutional post,” a senior opposition member said.
A source said that about two days ago, leader of the House J P Nadda was informally informed that the opposition may submit a motion for Dhankhar’s removal. Asked about the plan, Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken said, “All options are open, whatever is legal and in the rule book, whatever is in the Constitution, within the procedure of conduct, whatever provisions are there in the law, all options are open for us.”
Sources said opposition parties were concerned that the microphone of the leader of opposition was allegedly being turned off repeatedly. “The opposition wants the House to be run by rules and conventions, and personal remarks against members are unacceptable,” a source said.