Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday expressed strong discontent over not being allowed to speak in the House, vowing to continue his fight for dignity and refusing to be intimidated.
Kharge accused the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar, of partiality, likening his role to that of an umpire who must act impartially.
“But I will not be intimidated by all this and I will keep on fighting for my dignity as we have been fighting for years,” he asserted, calling the situation a grave injustice.
He further expressed frustration over disruptions allegedly orchestrated by ruling party members, claiming they were attempting to adjourn proceedings to prevent the Opposition from raising public concerns.
“It is unprecedented that members of the ruling party are disrupting the House and going towards the well with the clear intention of getting the House adjourned,” he remarked.
Kharge alleged that while ruling party members are given ample time to speak despite flouting norms, Opposition leaders are denied the opportunity even when they adhere to the rules.
“Whenever I stand up to speak, my mike is switched off,” he claimed.
Opposition’s anguish
The senior Congress leader also voiced concerns about perceived bias from the chair, stating, “The chairman was trying to vent his ire on me, while it was all the floor leaders of the House who had signed the resolution.”
He questioned the repeated emphasis by the chairman on being “a farmer’s son,” pointing out that many other members come from similar humble backgrounds.
Kharge accused the government of controlling media narratives and criticised the lack of representation of Opposition voices on Sansad TV.
“Sometimes people ask me whether I had attended the House, as my face is never shown on the television,” he noted, adding that the Opposition would persist in its efforts to highlight public concerns.
Democracy undermined, says Congress
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh supported Kharge, alleging that democracy was being undermined in Parliament.
“Rajya Sabha Chairman was excited to listen to his own praise. Everyone was praising him. They were criticising the Congress and our leaders. When our leaders asked for time, it was not granted. Kharge ji was silenced, and it was an insult of a Dalit. This is completely killing of democracy,” Ramesh charged.
Kharge also observed that while the Leader of the House, JP Nadda, was given sufficient time to speak, he was not even allowed two minutes.
He reiterated that the Opposition would not be silenced and would continue its fight for justice.
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