Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar – often left sitting while opposition MPs walk out to protest various issues – turned the tables Thursday afternoon, walking out of the House amid demands to discuss wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics from a gold medal bout.

A disgruntled Mr Dhankhar also named Congress MP Jairam Ramesh for “laughing”; “I know your habit…” the Rajya Sabha leader said, as he lamented the lack of respect for the House Chair.

“It is not me… but the post of the Chairperson that is being challenged… it is being challenged because people think the person sitting in the chair is not worthy…” Mr Dhankhar began.

At this point there were comments from the Chair’s left, after which Mr Dhankhar pointed to Jairam Ramesh. “Now I have only option… after what I have seen today I cannot continue sitting in this chair,” he said, after which he stood up, folded his hands together, and walked out of the house.

A video circulated by BJP leader Satya Kumar Yadav showed a nearly-empty House at the time.

Shameful behavior by @Jairam_Ramesh led to Dhankhar Sahib ji leaving the chair!

Congress leaders lack even basic decency in Parliament and then they have the audacity to blame others. pic.twitter.com/wWyF1mcrie

— Satya Kumar Yadav (@satyakumar_y) August 8, 2024

Hours earlier the Congress-led INDIA bloc staged a vociferous walk-out after Mr Dhankhar refused to allot time to discuss Ms Phogat’s disqualification. The Chairperson shut down Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien when they stood up to speak.

Mr Kharge wanted to know “who is behind” the heartbreak for Ms Phogat, who was looking to become the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic gold. He, though, was told to sit down.

Mr O’Brien was similarly stopped. “You are shouting at the Chair. Your conduct is ugliest in the House. I condemn your actions. Next time I will show you the door…” Mr Dhankhar said.

As uproar increased in the House, opposition MPs staged a walkout.

READ | Vinesh Phogat Row In Parliament: Angry Opposition Walks Out

Mr Dhankhar then accused the opposition of believing only their “hearts are bleeding”. “The entire nation is in pain… But to politicise it is the greatest disrespect to her (Ms Phogat),” he said.

On Tuesday INDIA bloc members walked out of the Lok Sabha to protest their dissatisfaction over Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s brief statement about aid given to Ms Phogat.

Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification has kicked up a political row, with the opposition quick to demand justice for the 29-year-old, who is one of three leading a #MeToo protest against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who was also the chief of the national wrestling body.

READ | Political Spats, “Conspiracy” Charges After Vinesh Phogat Disqualified

Meanwhile, a verdict on the Indian Olympic Association’s “strong protest” against Ms Phogat’s disqualification is expected this evening. However, sources have told NDTV no reprieve is likely.

Ms Phogat has been disqualified for being 100 grams overweight for the 50-kg event.

READ | “Goodbye, Wrestling”: Vinesh Phogat Says Retiring After Olympics Shock

And, in a surprise announcement this morning, she said was retiring from the sport.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Two days back, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh Prime Minister, fled capital Dhaka amid violent protests demanding her ouster and landed near Delhi. Since then, there has been speculation on where she is headed next. Right after her escape from Dhaka, some reports had claimed that the 76-year-old leader plans to seek asylum in the UK. But with London hesitating, the Awami League leader, it is learnt, is looking at other options.

What Sheikh Hasina’s Son Said

In an interview to NDTV, Sheikh Hasina’s son and Awami League leader Sajeeb Wazed Joy said reports claiming that his mother sought asylum in the UK are incorrect. “She has not requested asylum anywhere, so the question of the UK or US not responding yet is not true. My mother was planning to retire after this term anyway. She is done with politics in Bangladesh.”

Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed is WHO’s Regional Director for South-East Asia and lives in Delhi. But a Twitter post she put up suggests that she has not met Sheikh Hasina after her escape from Dhaka. “Heartbroken with the loss of life in my country that I love. So heartbroken that I cannot see and hug my mother during this difficult time. I remain committed to my role as RD @WHOSEARO@WHO#HealthForAll#OneWHO,” she posted on X.

What Has UK Said

Sheikh Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana is a UK citizen, and Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq is a Labour Party politician and a minister in the Keir Starmer government. Also, the UK has a record of giving refuge to several prominent figures of the subcontinent, including former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf and former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. So soon after she fled Dhaka, multiple reports predicted that she is headed to the UK.

But the UK Home Office told NDTV that British immigration rules do not allow individuals to travel to that country to seek asylum or temporary refuge. A spokesperson also said individuals seeking asylum must do so “in the first safe country they reach”.

“The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it. However, there is no provision for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge,” the Home office said.

Is US An Option?

Sheikh Hasina’s son Joy is based in the US, but the chances of her moving there are slim after Washington DC and Dhaka’s ties nosedived during her tenure. In fact, earlier this year, when Awami League stormed to victory in the Bangladesh election, the US State Department had said, “The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated.”

While some reports say the US has cancelled Sheikh Hasina’s visa after she resigned as Prime Minister, there has been no official confirmation and authorities have said visa records are confidential.

Earlier, after Sheikh Hasina fled the country, the US had said it stands with the people of Bangladesh. “We welcome the announcement of an interim government and urge any transition be conducted in accordance with Bangladesh’s laws,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller had said, flagging reports of human rights abuses, casualties, and injuries during the violent protests against the Awami League government.

What About India?

Sheikh Hasina has been in India since she landed here Monday. Addressing the Parliament on the Bangladesh situation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Sheikh Hasina had sought approval to come to India on a very short notice.

The government, according to reports, has told an all-party meeting that they have given time to the veteran politician to decide on her next move. Sheikh Hasina is in a state of shock and the government is giving her time to recover before it discusses these issues, sources have said.

New Delhi also faces a diplomatic dilemma here. It does not want to be seen as overtly backing the ousted leader because that may complicate its relationship with the new dispensation in Bangladesh,a a strategic partner geopolitically. At the same time, the history of Sheikh Hasina’s relationship with India must also be kept in mind. Long before she became Prime Minister, the Indira Gandhi government had given her refuge after her whole family, including father Mujibur Rahaman, was assassinated during the 1975 unrest in Bangladesh. So abandoning her at this point will also not be an easy decision, considering her equations with Delhi.

Officials say Mr Puigdemont is on the run and have ordered police to set up roadblocks around the city. 

​Officials say Mr Puigdemont is on the run and have ordered police to set up roadblocks around the city.