The Rajya Sabha witnessed a war of words on Tuesday when Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar sarcastically said Jairam Ramesh should take the seat of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, in an effort to discipline the Congress MP.
Kharge, who is also the president of the Congress, retorted by saying the chairman was trying to bring in the "Varna" (caste) system.
The acrimony started when Dhankhar aksed Pramod Tiwari of the Congress not to state unverified facts. To this, Ramesh said it would be authenticated.
"The senior leadership (Kharge) is here. I think you (Ramesh) should replace (Kharge).... You are so intelligent, so gifted, so talented, you should immediately come and take the seat in place of Mr Kharge because, by and large, you are doing his job," the chairman said.
At this point, Kharge retorted by saying "do not bring in the Varna system...That is why you are calling Ramesh very intelligent ... And I am dull".
An agitated Dhankhar accused Kharge of "twisting" his remark and said he never meant it.
"Never in the history of parliamentary democracy and Rajya Sabha proceedings there has been such a disregard of the chair," he said.
Kharge added that whatever he is today is because of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and the people of the country.
Later, Tiwari continued his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the president for her address to a joint sitting of Parliament.
