Be just to both sides, Kharge tells Chairman CP Radhakrishnan
New Delhi (PTI): Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday assured Chairman CP Radhakrishnan of cooperation from the Congress party in the smooth conduct of the House, as he also urged him to treat the Opposition and Treasury benches equally.
As the Rajya Sabha members felicitated the Vice President, who is also the Chairman of the Upper House, on his first day in the Chair, Kharge also remembered Radhakrishnan's predecessor, former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, triggering protests from the treasury benches.
Welcoming the Chairman on behalf of the Opposition parties, Kharge said the Congress "staunchly stands by Constitutional values and time-honoured Parliamentary traditions... be assured of our cooperation in the conduct of proceedings".
"Fair and impartial conduct of proceedings, providing just opportunity to members of each party, is essential for credibility of this office," Kharge said.
He referred to Dhankhar, who had resigned from the post of Vice-President on July 21 over health issues.
"I am constrained to refer to your predecessor's unexpected and sudden exit from the office of Chairman Rajya... I was disheartened that this House did not get an opportunity to give him a farewell," he said, triggering protests from the treasury benches.
Kharge urged the Chairman to ensure a balance between the Treasury and Opposition sides.
"Better if you keep a balance between both sides. I wish you a successful term," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Leader of Opposition for mentioning Dhankhar's resignation on the "solemn occasion".
"Why did the honourable Leader of Opposition refer to a case which was not necessary to be raised at this moment..." Rijiju said.
VIDEO | Parliament Winter Session 2025: Addressing the House, Rajya Sabha LoP and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said, “We are confident you (Chairman CP Radhakrishnan) will be impartial and treat Opposition, Treasury benches in equal measure.”
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 1, 2025
(Source: Third… pic.twitter.com/W6Qm3Z7o0X
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
