"No one above Constitution of India," says CPI MP Sandosh on no-confidence motion against Dhankhar

New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): Days after Congress-led opposition moved a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar on Friday said that there is nothing wrong with the notice of impeachment and that nobody in the country is above the Constitution of the country.
"...We have every right to file a notice in accordance with the constitutional provisions. So we have given a notice for impeachment. What is wrong in it?... Whether you are an ordinary man, Parliament member, Minister, President or Vice President, no one is above the Constitution of India..." the CPI MP told ANI.
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, taking a shot at Dhankar, highlighted the importance of the chairman's role by comparing it to an umpire and suggested "not take anyone's side."
"The Chairman is an umpire and he should not take anyone's side. When the Leader of the House JP Nadda speaks, he gets 5-10 minutes. On the other hand, we keep our hands up for a chance to speak and our mics are turned off," Kharge said.
"I am not the only one who signed (the No-Confidence motion). It's unfair if I'm solely getting blamed," he said.
"The ruling party comes prepared to get the house adjourned. I will keep fighting for my self-respect and what we deserve constitutionally," he added.
Dhankhar has expressed disappointment and said, "Day in and day out there is only a campaign against the Chairman.....it's a campaign not against me, it's a campaign against category to which I belong."
"I am personally pained for a reason that the main opposition party has put it as a blitz as a campaign against the Chairman. They are entitled to bring a motion against me. This is their constitutional right but they are deviating from the constitutional provisions.....I have gone through everything that is projected through the public domain. Why cannot we follow the Constitution? You gave a notice that we received, and you asked a question in your press conference what has happened to the notice? Giving an impression that the Chairman is sitting on notice..... You bring a proposal, it is your right, it is your right to discuss the proposal, but what did you do, you flouted the Constitution. Who stopped your proposal? A statement is issued from your place that what happened on our proposal? Read the law, your proposal has come, it will come after 14 days. You have started a campaign.", he said.
The INDIA bloc submitted the no-confidence motion on December 10 to the Secretary-General of the Upper House of Parliament. INDIA bloc parties held a joint press conference and said they were forced to resort to the step to "safeguard the democracy and Constitution". (ANI)