The Congress-led opposition on Wednesday defended its decision to submit a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, citing his alleged partisan actions as the reason. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused Mr. Dhankhar of undermining the dignity of the Rajya Sabha and functioning as the "biggest disruptor" of the Upper House.

"We were left with no choice but to take this step. For three years, the Chairperson neither gave us time nor space to raise critical issues," Mr. Kharge said in a press briefing. He emphasized that the motion was not a "personal fight" but was prompted by concerns over the fairness of the Chairman's conduct.

Mr. Kharge accused Mr. Dhankhar of favoring the ruling party, often signaling its MPs to speak while sidelining opposition leaders. "Instead of protecting the rights of all members, he appears to be acting as the government's spokesperson. This has disrupted the functioning of the Rajya Sabha," he alleged.

The no-confidence motion, submitted on Tuesday, followed weeks of tension in the Upper House, including a recent row over allegations linking Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to billionaire investor George Soros. The BJP claimed a think tank associated with Mr. Soros, which has advocated for an independent Kashmir, had ties to Mrs. Gandhi. BJP President JP Nadda labeled these alleged connections a threat to national security.

The Congress rejected the accusations, with Mr. Kharge calling them baseless and part of a ploy to divert attention from pressing issues like the ethnic violence in Manipur and farmers' protests. The opposition also criticized Mr. Dhankhar for allowing BJP leaders to speak on these allegations while rejecting their requests to debate other topics of national importance.

On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Mr. Dhankhar, calling him a "guide" to the House and accusing the Congress of disrespecting the position of the Chairman. "The NDA has a majority in the Rajya Sabha, and this notice will be rejected. Such actions by the opposition are unacceptable," Mr. Rijiju said.

The motion is unlikely to succeed, as the opposition lacks the numbers in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, procedural rules require a 14-day notice before such a motion can be considered, adding to the challenges for its passage.

While the BJP criticized the move as an attempt to disrupt the House, the opposition maintained that it was compelled to act to protect democratic values and ensure the impartial functioning of parliamentary institutions.