New Delhi: Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi slammed the Centre on Saturday, calling the resignation of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar a "political exit camouflaged as a constitutional lie". Singhvi accused the government of showing signs of insecurity over its inability to control the narrative on the impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, IANS reported.
Countering Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's claim that no impeachment motion was admitted in Rajya Sabha other than the one admitted in Lok Sabha, Singhvi told reporters, "Did the Chairman not clearly make the Opposition motion a property of the House when he inquired from the Law Minister about the admission of a separate motion in Lok Sabha?"
He said Dhankhar wanted both Houses to join on the issue, and, perhaps, that is linked to his sudden resignation and silence.
"We believe that Dhankhar's resignation is a political exit camouflaged as a constitutional lie," he said.
Singhvi claimed that now a joint committee of Parliament for inquiry against Justice Varma would not be possible as the government only wants to push forward its motion, admitted in the Lok Sabha.
He said, "There's a difference between what they show and what they do and when it comes to issues related to accountability in the judiciary. The BJP is exhibiting precisely this kind of double-faced, hypocritical behaviour."
The MP slammed Union Minister Rijiju's statement on Friday that no motion against Justice Verma was admitted in the Rajya Sabha.
The Congress leader accused the government's bid to push forward its motion in Lok Sabha as "institutional sabotage and constitutional transgression".
"In a democracy and on an issue on which you have the support of most of the members of the Opposition, why do you want to be arrogant and pursue Ekla Chalo?" said Singhvi, criticising the BJP for "double-standards".
"The government ignores cooperation but is talking of competition and a race of who will make the first announcement," said Singhvi, adding that the government seems concerned more about who should be in camera and is focused on optics and lighting.
Accusing the government of suffering from intoxication of power, he said its insecurity about inability to control the narrative on impeachment motion is "petty, childish and silly".