‘I am not under pressure,’ says Dhankhar as Gehlot alleges pressure on LS, RS presiding officers

Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday (June 30, 2025) refuted veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot’s claim of pressure on presiding officers of Parliament – the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker. “I am not under [any] pressure,” Mr. Dhankhar said at a function organised by an association of former MLAs in Jaipur.

“Since he [Mr. Gehlot] spoke publicly, I would also like to say publicly – he need not worry. I am under no pressure… Neither do I exert pressure on anyone nor do I operate under pressure,” Mr. Dhankhar said while addressing the gathering at the ‘Sneh Milan Samaroh’ organised by Rajasthan Pragatisheel Manch at the Constitution Club here.

“I was a little concerned, not for my health, but for my friend, the former Chief Minister, who said we are under pressure. He is one of my oldest friends in Rajasthan politics and a well-wisher,” Mr. Dhankhar said, while dismissing Mr. Gehlot’s claim of pressure on the presiding officers of Parliament.

Gehlot’s charge

Mr. Gehlot, during a visit to Jodhpur recently, said that Opposition leaders were not allowed to speak in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. He alleged that all this was happening under pressure from the Vice-President and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, adding that they too were under pressure.

Mr. Dhankhar said he could make an affirmation about “no pressure”, while speaking from the soil of Rajasthan, and added that he had “personally observed that Mr. Birla cannot be brought under pressure… I work with him closely”.

Referring to the constitutional position of Governors, Mr. Dhankhar said they are “often treated like an easy punching bag”. “If the State and the Centre are ruled by different political parties, it becomes very easy to make allegations. But now even the Vice-President and the President are being dragged into this domain. This, in my view, is a matter of concern and is not appropriate,” he said.

The Vice-President expressed concern over the current political scenario, saying the political atmosphere at present was “not healthy” for individuals and democracy. “Power keeps changing hands; the ruling party becomes the Opposition, the Opposition becomes the ruling party. But that does not mean we should become enemies. Our enemies may lie across the border, not within the country,” Mr. Dhankhar said.

He laid emphasis on greater decorum in legislative conduct, while pointing out that public disenchantment with legislators’ conduct could erode faith in democratic institutions. “It is worrying to see what is happening in the temples of democracy. If the sanctity of these institutions is compromised, people will seek alternatives,” he said, and called upon the former MLAs to help improve the quality of public discourse.

Highlighting the significance of a healthy Opposition, Mr. Dhankhar said the Opposition was a vital constituent of democracy and not an adversary. He advocated for “open expression and dialogue”, while affirming that when expression becomes dismissive of opposing views, it ceases to be meaningful. “Constructive debate is essential, and it means engaging with people who disagree with you,” he said.

Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade, Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully, and Rajasthan Pragatisheel Manch’s patron Harimohan Sharma and working president Jeetram Choudhary were among those present.