"LoP in Rajya Sabha not allowed to speak," Congress' Jairam Ramesh alleges partial behaviour by Rajya Sabha chairman

Dec 12, 2024

New Delhi [India], December 12 : Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Rajya Sabha Chairman, accusing him of biased conduct and undermining the opposition in the upper house of Parliament.
Speaking to ANI, Ramesh expressed his dissatisfaction over the way opposition voices, particularly the Leader of the Opposition, have been treated during recent Parliamentary sessions.
"Even today we saw what was the need to bring a no-confidence motion against the Rajya Sabha chairman, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha was not allowed to speak in Parliament... This is an insult to the Leader of the Opposition and the Congress party," Ramesh said.
The Congress leader specifically pointed to what he described as a blatant double standard in the chairmanship's approach to proceedings.
" When the opposition raises an issue in Parliament, the Rajya Sabha chairman says nothing will go on record, but when the ruling party raises an issue it goes on record," Ramesh explained.
He "condemned" the lack of impartiality and said that the ruling party MPs are given a "chance to speak in Parliament", while the opposition is silenced. Ramesh further accused the ruling party of trying to divert attention from the Adani issue, calling their actions "baseless" and "misleading."
"They want to divert attention from the Adani issue... They are making baseless comments about George Soros... We want Parliament to function," Ramesh said.
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain claimed that Congress MPs were being prevented from raising peoples' issues
"We are being prevented from raising people's issues, our notices are being ignored and keeping all these things in mind, this motion has been brought and when the discussion will take place, we will put forward our views," he said.
Meanwhile, leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda accused the Congress of hurting the democratic system by not letting the house function.
"Congress party wants to delay and divert the issues...The countrymen are very disturbed when they come to know that a person named George Soros wants to disturb the stability of the nation...The nation wants to know the relationship between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros...We will go amongst the public and raise this issue," Nadda said.