The felicitation of newly elected Rajya Sabha Chairperson CP Radhakrishnan on his first day in Parliament was largely cordial, except for some Opposition members lamenting that they had no opportunity to bid farewell to his predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, owing to his abrupt departure.
The treasury benches objected to this on the grounds that the welcome speech of the vice president was not the occasion to raise this issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Upper House in welcoming Radhakrishnan as the new chairperson and praised the VP for his social service and his rise from humble beginnings to the high office due to his dedication and sincerity. "Our chairperson comes from an ordinary family, a farmer's family. He has dedicated his entire life to social service. Social service has been his constant path. Politics has been one aspect of it, but the mainstream of his life has always been service to society. From his youth till now, he has worked with full dedication towards society. For all of us who have an interest in social service, he is an inspiration and a guiding light," Modi said.
The Prime Minister appreciated Radhakrishnan's successful stints as head of the Coir Board, governor of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Telangana, and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. He also mentioned the vice president's deep connect with the tribals and disdain for protocol. Modi lauded Radhakrishnan's fight against the Emergency and the fact that he remained unphased by two close brushes with death, once when he nearly drowned and the second during the Coimbatore bomb blast before LK Advani's yatra.
Welcoming Radhakrishnan, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge hoped the VP would be impartial with "ill-will to none and goodwill to all". The Congress president quoted Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's words, "I belong to no party and that means I belong to every party" and underlined that his namesake will live up to this motto. Assuring full cooperation from the Congress, Kharge said the chairperson shares his name with the first vice president S Radhakrishnan and will also hold the same high ideals.
He then raised the issue of Dhankhar's "unexpected and sudden exit" which led to protests from the treasury benches. "Chairperson belongs to all sections of the House. The House did not get an opportunity to give him a farewell. As custodian of the Rajya Sabha, the chairperson belongs to the whole House. I am disheartened that he did not get a farewell. I wish him a healthy life," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Kharge on the issue, alleging that when Dhankhar was in office, the Opposition had used unsavoury language against him and even moved two no-confidence motions to remove him. Some other Opposition members also raised the issue, including Javed Ali Khan (SP) who reiterated Kharge's stand and wished Dhankhar was given a send-off.
Thanking the House for felicitating him, Radhakrishnan urged members to cooperate in ensuring smooth conduct and not cross the "Laxman Rekha" laid down in the Upper House rules while raising issues.
The treasury benches objected to this on the grounds that the welcome speech of the vice president was not the occasion to raise this issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Upper House in welcoming Radhakrishnan as the new chairperson and praised the VP for his social service and his rise from humble beginnings to the high office due to his dedication and sincerity. "Our chairperson comes from an ordinary family, a farmer's family. He has dedicated his entire life to social service. Social service has been his constant path. Politics has been one aspect of it, but the mainstream of his life has always been service to society. From his youth till now, he has worked with full dedication towards society. For all of us who have an interest in social service, he is an inspiration and a guiding light," Modi said.
The Prime Minister appreciated Radhakrishnan's successful stints as head of the Coir Board, governor of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Telangana, and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. He also mentioned the vice president's deep connect with the tribals and disdain for protocol. Modi lauded Radhakrishnan's fight against the Emergency and the fact that he remained unphased by two close brushes with death, once when he nearly drowned and the second during the Coimbatore bomb blast before LK Advani's yatra.
Welcoming Radhakrishnan, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge hoped the VP would be impartial with "ill-will to none and goodwill to all". The Congress president quoted Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's words, "I belong to no party and that means I belong to every party" and underlined that his namesake will live up to this motto. Assuring full cooperation from the Congress, Kharge said the chairperson shares his name with the first vice president S Radhakrishnan and will also hold the same high ideals.
He then raised the issue of Dhankhar's "unexpected and sudden exit" which led to protests from the treasury benches. "Chairperson belongs to all sections of the House. The House did not get an opportunity to give him a farewell. As custodian of the Rajya Sabha, the chairperson belongs to the whole House. I am disheartened that he did not get a farewell. I wish him a healthy life," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Kharge on the issue, alleging that when Dhankhar was in office, the Opposition had used unsavoury language against him and even moved two no-confidence motions to remove him. Some other Opposition members also raised the issue, including Javed Ali Khan (SP) who reiterated Kharge's stand and wished Dhankhar was given a send-off.
Thanking the House for felicitating him, Radhakrishnan urged members to cooperate in ensuring smooth conduct and not cross the "Laxman Rekha" laid down in the Upper House rules while raising issues.
