‘Affront to nation’: VP Dhankhar lambasts ‘Rahul's mike put off’ claim

Dhankar clarified on the attachment of eight officers in his office with 20 parliamentary committees including 8 subject-related standing committees on March 7.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday lambasted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comments regarding microphones being turned off in Parliament, and said he would be on the ''wrong side'' of the Constitution if he stayed silent on the issue.

Speaking at an event to launch veteran Congress leader and former parliamentarian Karan Singh's book on the Mundaka Upanishad, Dhankhar spoke extensively on the former Congress president's remarks made in London.

"Undoubtedly our people are concerned and anguished with disruptors of proceedings, shouters of slogans and practitioners of indecorous conduct - throwing papers and whipping out mics and walking into the well of the House. Our Parliamentarians need to exemplify conduct worth emulating," he said.

"India, now in Amrit Kaal, is the most functional democracy that has evoked global recognition. India is setting global discourse on many issues. All Indians are elated that the country is on the rise as never before and its upward growth trajectory is unstoppable as we are on our way to 2047, the vice-president said.

"How ironic, how painful! While the world is applauding our historic accomplishments as a functional vibrant democracy, some amongst us including parliamentarians are engaged in the thoughtless, unfair denigration of our well-nurtured democratic values. How can we justify such wanton orchestration of a factually untenable narrative?," Dhankar said.

"And mark the timing of this unwholesome misadventure - While India is having its moments of glory- as President of G20 and there are people outside of the country working in overdrive to denigrate us," he said.

"Such misplaced campaign mode to taint and tarnish our parliament and constitutional entities is too serious and exceptional to be ignored or countenanced. No political strategy or partisan stance can justify compromising our nationalism and democratic values," Dhankar remarked.

"If I observe silence on this misadventure-orchestration by a Member of Parliament outside the country which is ill-premised, unwholesome and motivated, I would be on the wrong side of the constitution. It will be constitutional culpability and outrage of my oath of office," he said.

"How can I sanctify a statement that in Indian Parliament mics are put off? How can people say so? Has there been any illustration? Yes! We did have a dark chapter of our political history. Proclamation of Emergency was the darkest period any democracy can suffer. Indian democratic polity is now mature. There can be no repeat of that. Anyone who says so, inside or outside the country, that in Indian Parliament Mics are put off... Imagine this being done after having held the floor for nearly 50 minutes. Such kind of wanton and misadventure to run down our democratic values cannot be countenanced. I call upon everyone - intelligentsia, media and youth who are our warriors of 2047 to rise to the occasion, expose these forces and neutralise them," Dhankar explained elaborately.

"I am not a stakeholder in politics. I don't engage in a partisan stance. But I do believe in constitutional duties and I know fear cannot dominate my mind after I have Dr. Singh by my side for so long. If I observe silence, the mass majority of people who believe in this nation will be silent forever. We cannot allow such a narrative to gain momentum by those elements who wish to pose hurdles to our rising growth," Dhankar said.

"I preside over Rajya Sabha, let someone come forward and say mic was put off. There is the fullest freedom of expression as per the constitution and no democracy in the world can rival that. We can see the blossoming of democracy at all layers. Which country can claim to have a multi-layer democracy at the panchayat, municipal, state level and central level?," he asked.

"You run down our judiciary on foreign soil. Where on the planet is a judiciary that acts with lightning speed? Our judiciary is made with the most brilliant minds in the world," he said.

On March 7, Gandhi, addressing London MPs in the Westminster complex, said, "The mikes are not out of order but you still can't switch them on. It has happened to me a number of times while I am speaking."

Meanwhile, the Vice President clarified on the attachment of eight officers in his office with 20 parliamentary committees including 8 subject-related standing committees on March 7.

"You know the importance of Committees. I got inputs from a number of members and Chairmen of Committees to do something affirmative to improve productivity. So, I sharpened the human resource attached to Committees. I put research-oriented, knowledgeable people so that they can help the Committee members to optimise output and performance," he said.

"But a narrative has been set afloat by sections of media that the Chairman has appointed his own members to the Committees. Has anyone even checked the facts? Committees comprise the Members of Parliament. It is their exclusive domain. I am terribly upset and concerned about what our editors are doing. Can you engage in such a narrative that is based on falsehood? And you don't care to check the truth. I have acted because the Chairmen and Members had come up to me and I'm doing it after multi-layered consultations," he justified.