NEW DELHI, Dec 19: On Thursday, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh dismissed the impeachment notice filed by Opposition members seeking the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, describing it as an act of impropriety that was fundamentally flawed and hastily constructed to tarnish his reputation.
In a three-page ruling presented in the House by Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody, Harivansh stated that the notice was part of a broader agenda to undermine the nation’s constitutional institutions and to discredit the current Vice President.
The impeachment notice, signed by at least 60 Opposition members on December 10, accused Dhankhar of bias and a lack of trustworthiness. It was introduced under Article 67(b) of the Constitution, which outlines the process for a no-confidence motion against the Vice President of India.
Harivansh characterized the notice as a “personally targeted” attack that lacked factual basis and sought publicity, labeling it a “misadventure” that trivializes and demeans the important role of the Vice President in the world’s largest democracy.
He indicated that the notice was filled with assertions solely aimed at harming the reputation of the current Vice President. Furthermore, he pointed out that Article 67(b) requires at least 14 days’ notice for any resolution intending to remove the Vice President. Therefore, the impeachment notice filed on December 10, 2024, could only permit such a resolution after December 24, 2024. He emphasized that all signatories were aware that the ongoing 266th session of the Rajya Sabha, which started on November 25, 2024, and is set to conclude on December 20, 2024, would not allow for such a resolution to be brought forward.
“Given this context, the notice is deemed an act of impropriety, seriously flawed, and seemingly hurried with the aim of damaging the reputation of the incumbent Vice President and the integrity of the constitutional institution. Consequently, it is dismissed,” he stated in his ruling.
Harivansh further criticized the notice for its “lack of bona fides,” and claimed that subsequent events revealed it was a “calculated unwholesome attempt” to attract publicity, undermine the constitutional institution, and defame the incumbent Vice President, who is notable for being the first from the agricultural community to assume this position in independent India’s history.
He noted that the notice was carelessly crafted, lacking essential elements such as addressee details, a resolution text, and misspelling the Vice President’s name throughout the document. It relied on disjointed media reports without proper authentication and was fundamentally flawed in multiple respects.
“Most troubling for the reputation of Parliament and its members, the notice is filled with claims aimed solely at maligning the incumbent Vice President, referencing events since he took office in August 2022,” the Deputy Chairman remarked.
This situation was further complicated by the impossibility of introducing a resolution in the expected timeframe. Harivansh noted the coordinated media campaign surrounding the notice, including a televised press conference by the Leader of the Opposition and Chief Whip of the Indian National Congress on December 12, 2024, wherein AICC General Secretary emphasized that a no-confidence motion had been filed, questioning inaction regarding it.
He stated that the impeachment notice was an attempt to create a narrative suggesting that the authority was neglecting the notice of intention and thus failing to discharge its duties appropriately.
Constitutionally, after submitting a notice of intention to remove the Vice President, a resolution must be moved after 14 days, which had not been initiated by any party. Harivansh referenced a past instance from September 21, 2020, when former Chairman Venkaiah Naidu dismissed a similar notice due to procedural impropriety concerning Article 67(b) for failing to meet the necessary notice period.
The Deputy Chairman concluded that the coordinated media efforts accompanying the notice further illustrated a design to malign the nation’s constitutional institutions and the incumbent Vice President. Harivansh was tasked with addressing the notice after Chairman Dhankhar recused himself from the matter. A detailed order will follow.
