Congress' Jairam Ramesh Faces Parliament Panel Over "Cheerleader" Jab At Jagdeep Dhankhar

The Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee has taken a "serious view" of the complaint against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for making "disrespectful allegations" against the then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, sources told NDTV on Monday.

The committee's meeting was held days before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, which begins on December 1.

The case dates back to April 2023, when BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi filed a complaint accusing Jairam Ramesh of breach of privilege.

Ramesh had allegedly said the Chairman should not be the "cheerleader" of the ruling dispensation and should also hear the opposition.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh attended the meeting along with members Sudhanshu Trivedi, Deepak Prakash, Kartikeya Sharma, GK Vasan and Surendra Nagar.

Sources indicate that the senior Congress leader appeared before the committee and defended his remarks, telling members that he had no intention of showing disrespect to the Chair. He is said to have told the committee that he holds the Chair in full regard, the source added.

The Committee is now weighing all available material, the Congress leader's explanation and the broader question of parliamentary conduct before deciding its next steps.

The Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee comprises 10 members across various political parties.

The Committee examines every question of privilege referred to it by the House or by the Chairman and determines with reference to the facts of each case whether a breach of privilege is involved.

If the Committee finds that a privilege breach has occurred, it determines the nature of the breach, the circumstances leading to it and makes recommendations accordingly.