LUCKNOW: Launching a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Saturday, accused him of lying on foreign land over the former Congress chief's comments regarding microphones of the Opposition being turned off in Parliament.
Dhankar, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said, "There cannot be a bigger lie when someone tries to set a narrative by saying that in the biggest panchayat, the Parliament, mics are switched off."
Criticising the Congress leader, the Vice President said Temples of democracy cannot be allowed to be outraged and lamented that "some people" are trying to undermine the achievements of the country due to their short-sightedness.
"Democratic values are important and we cannot allow temples of democracy to be outraged as we are considered to be the mother of democracy," he said.
Rahul Gandhi told British parliamentarians in London on Monday that functioning microphones in Lok Sabha are often silenced against the Opposition. He had made the comment during an event organised by veteran Indian-origin Opposition Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma in the Grand Committee Room within the House of Commons complex.
Vice President while addressing a gathering during 'Ayurveda Mahakumbh' at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut in the presence of UP Governor Anandiben Patel and CM Yogi Adityanath.
Dhankar, who was addressing a gathering during 'Ayurveda Mahakumbh' at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut, claimed such a thing (turning off microphones) was done during the "black chapter" of Emergency, but it is not possible now.
Dhankhar said it was his constitutional duty "to indicate to the world at large that mics are not switched off in India's Parliament."
The Vice President also said it is "saddening" to see that some people say "what is going on in the country," adding "Which other country can claim that their judiciary acts with lightning speed, but our Supreme Court does work like this."
"We are the world's most functional democracy, no other country can make such a claim that they have democracy from panchayat (grassroots) to municipality to state and up to the Centre. There can be opinions but it (India's democracy) is vibrant and functional," Dhankar said.
During his UK visit, Gandhi had also alleged that the media, the institutional frameworks, the judiciary, and Parliament is all under attack. He had also expressed regret that democratic parts of the world, including the US and Europe, have failed to notice that a "large chunk of democracy has come undone."
At the Saturday event, while stressing on democratic values, Dhankhar said the behaviour of lawmakers in Parliament and state legislatures should be "exemplary" as those were the places of "debate, dialogue, discussion, deliberation and not of disruption and disturbance."
The vice president also cited that "the Constitution makers deliberated and discussed contentious and divisive issues for three years but not a (single) member came into the Well, showed placards or raised slogans, (but) why is it today just the opposite."
The Congress had hit back at Dhankhar for his criticism of Gandhi's remarks, saying that the Rajya Sabha chairman is an umpire and cannot be a cheerleader for any ruling dispensation.