Rajya Sabha on Monday (December 1, 2025) witnessed a heated exchange between Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, and J.P. Nadda as the Upper House welcomed its new Chairman — Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan.
Following the remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recalled Mr. Radhakrishnan’s journey from an ordinary background to the office of Vice President, Mr. Kharge in his congratulatory address made a note that the Vice-President does not belong to any single party.
Parliament Winter session updates on December 1, 2025
Mr. Kharge quoted from former Vice-President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s 1952 acceptance speech in which he had said, “I belong to no party”. The Congress president explained that he had chosen the quote in light of some parliamentarians claiming that the Vice-President is from their party. “That means I belong to every party in this House,” Mr. Kharge read further from Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s speech. Mr. Kharge went on to note that the current Vice-President’s uncle C. K. Kuppuswamy had been a member from Congress and elected from Coimbatore thrice.
Pointing out that C.P. Radhakrishnan shares his name with the nation’s first Vice-President, Mr. Kharge said that he hopes that the current Vice-President also shares a similar mindset. He assured the Chair of his party’s co-operation in the conduct of fair and impartial proceedings of the House and asked that just opportunity be presented to the members, whether they belong to Opposition or Treasury benches.
