New Delhi: Claiming to have the signatures of 70 members, the Opposition on Tuesday submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha to move a no-confidence motion to remove Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The notice was submitted to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody, sources revealed. Around 70 opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, and DMK, signed the notice, which had been approved by Sonia Gandhi.
Why Opposition wants to impeach Vice President Dhankhar
Spearheaded by the Congress, the notice follows escalating tensions between opposition parties and the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
The opposition has expressed dissatisfaction with Chairman Dhankhar over several issues, most recently for permitting treasury bench members to raise the Congress-Soros “link” issue in the Upper House. As per constitutional requirements, a minimum of 50 members is needed to move a motion to remove the Vice President.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh accused the Rajya Sabha Chairman of displaying partisanship. Earlier, in August, INDIA bloc parties had also considered submitting a notice to move a resolution seeking the Vice President’s removal.
Under Article 67(b) of the Constitution, a Vice President can be removed from office by a resolution passed by the Rajya Sabha with a majority of its members and agreed upon by the Lok Sabha. However, such a resolution requires at least 14 days’ notice before being moved.
