"Take resolve to ensure sacred precincts of Rajya Sabha....": Jagdeep Dhankhar urges members

New Delhi [India], August 9 : As Rajya Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments due to a tense situation when the opposition walked out following a heated exchange with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar over BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari's remarks against Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, the Vice-President expressed disappointment over "intemperate language without any premise and going to media and getting traction, adding that members should take resolve to ensure that the sacred precincts of Rajya Sabha is not allowed to be a ground for destabilising democracy.
He also urged members who staged a walkout to soul search, engage in introspection, take into consideration their oath under the constitution, and prepare for vigorous participation in a constructive manner in forthcoming sessions.
"I would urge each one of you also to please reach out, the Members of this House you can, so that we all in this House on some issues, issues of National importance, get bipartisan, rise above party interests, and send a message to the country and the world at large, that this country, having the most vibrant, functional democracy, a country that is the mother of democracy, a country that is the oldest and largest democracy, will continue to be hope for the entire world. With these words of expectation, request, pleading and urging, I will take up the essential agenda," he said.
"If untruth, something which is far distanced from truth, gets traction, it is bothersome. Our resolve to ensure that the sacred precincts of Rajya Sabha be not allowed to be a ground for destabilising democracy," he added.
Earlier, Congress MPs demanded an apology from Tiwari for his remarks made on August 1, but the Rajya Sabha chairman insisted that the issue was resolved privately with the leaders.The Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs also demanded to expunge the remarks of Ghanshyam Tiwari about LoP, while Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan made remarks about the tone of Chairman Dhankhar.The Chairman took strong exception to Jaya Bachchan's remarks, saying he does not want schooling and that he does not go by any script and has his script. On this, the Opposition members staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha.
During the conclusion of the 265th Session of the Rajya Sabha, he said,"I have therefore no doubt that my appeal to the Members who are not present today will persuade them to soul search, engage in introspection, think about their duty to the nation, take into consideration their oath under the constitution, and prepare for vigorous participation in a constructive manner in forthcoming sessions."
Dhankar urged members who walked out to "deeply reflect and consider the House proceedings and the expectations of the public."
"I appeal to the members who are not present there out of the decision taken and reflected in the house by their walkout to deeply introspect and deliberate within themselves taking into consideration the upper house," Dhankar said.
"The three adjournments unfortunately didn't evoke the expected response. I will continue to work for the participation of the members to get an opportunity to perform their constitutional duty and use their energy and exposure to serve people at large," he said.
He further said that he observed the reaction of members on various TV channels during the adhjoument and that out of respect for the institution and for every member of the House and the people at large, he had taken due care that their behaviour and conduct that was not becoming a member of Parliament did not get traction beyond the temple of democracy."
"While the house was adjourned, I saw the reaction of the members outside the house on various TV channels. I wish to inform the people at large that out of respect for this institution and out of respect for the dignity of every member, I have taken due care and caution to ensure that our behaviour of not being members of the Parliament doesn't get traction beyond the temple of democracy," he said.