No Authority Beyond Parliament Can Scrutinise Our Actions: Rajya Sabha Chairman

No authority beyond Parliament can scrutinise the actions of members of the House, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Friday as a motion was moved to suspend Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil for the remainder of the current Budget Session for filming House proceedings.

The chairman of the Upper House was responding to Trinamool Congress MP Jawahar Sircar’s cautionary suggestion that the opposition does not want the ruling of the chair to be “questioned in any forum of law.” Sircar said the chair “may not undertake an act that may not be sustainable,” arguing that a video posted by a Twitter handle after the house proceedings were over can not “retrospectively disrupt” the house.

“I assure the House, there’s no authority beyond Parliament to scrutinise our actions… I indicated so on December 7, 2022, I reiterate – we are the ultimate architect of the Constitution. There is no authority under the constitution that can even look at issues that are meant for us,” Dhankhar asserted.

Dhankhar said a suggestion had been made that an immediate investigation by outside agencies be undertaken but added that he has categorically ruled it out.

“I said no, that idea does not occur to me…I said as chairman I will vindicate the trust of my electorate, we will deal with it in-House and not seek any outside assistance,” the chairman said.

He said Patil “is suspended for the remaining period of the current session and till there is a report available for consideration of the House from the privileges committee, I put this motion for consideration of this House”.

“Taking note of the sentiment of the House, it is hereby directed that all steps be taken that are applicable for a member who is under suspension and this will be effective during the remaining period of the current session, subject to a report being made available by the privileges committee for consideration of this House,” he said.

On Thursday, opposition MPs stormed the Well of the House and shouted slogans all through the 90-minute speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on President’s address. Barring fleeting visuals of the opposition protest, Rajya Sabha TV, which is the only medium that provides visuals of House proceedings, maintained its focus on Modi, the treasury benches or the chair.

Congress MP Mukul Wasnik accused Rajya Sabha TV of biased broadcasting and asked whether the channel was instructed to only cover the treasury benches when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was speaking.