Every word spoken by constitutional functionary guided by national interest: Dhankhar

New Delhi | Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday asserted that every word spoken by a constitutional authority is guided by supreme national interest, as he hit out at his critics for questioning his remarks on a recent Supreme Court order.

Dhankhar also said that efforts of forces working against the country to tarnish and run down institutions should be neutralised, "be it that of the presidency".

Asserting that Parliament is supreme, Dhankhar said, "There is no visualisation in the Constitution of any authority above Parliament. Parliament is supreme... Let me tell you, it is as supreme as every individual in the country." A top court bench recently prescribed a three-month timeline for the president of India to decide on Bills reserved by governors for her nod.

Reacting to the directive, Dhankhar had said that the judiciary cannot play the role of a "super Parliament" and get into the domain of the executive.

Addressing a Delhi University event, he said every word spoken by a constitutional functionary is guided by the supreme sublime interest of the nation.

"I find it conceivably intriguing that some have recently reflected that constitutional offices can be ceremonial or ornamental. Nothing can be far distanced from a wrong understanding of the role of everyone in this country -- constitutional functionary or a citizen," he said.

Stating that everyone of them has a role, he said, "The soul of democracy resides and pulsates in every citizen. Democracy will blossom. Its values will get heightened. When citizen is alert, citizen contributes and what a citizen contributes, there is no substitute for that." Dhankhar also said that there is no visualisation in the Constitution of any authority above Parliament.

"Part of 'We the People' is an atom in democracy and that atom has atomic power. That atomic power is reflected during elections and that is why we are a democratic nation," Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson, underlined.

Voicing concern over the recent Supreme Court ruling prescribing a timeline for the president to decide on Bills, Dhankhar on Friday said India had not bargained for a democracy where judges will legislate and perform executive functions and act as a "super Parliament".

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had, for the first time, prescribed that the President should decide on the Bills reserved for her consideration by governors within three months from the date such reference is received.

"There is a directive to the president by a recent judgement... We never bargained for democracy for this day. President being called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, becomes law," Dhankhar said.

The vice-president was criticised for questioning the judiciary, with critics terming his remarks "unconstitutional".

In an apparent response to Dhankhar's "super Parliamet" remark, a top court bench on Monday said that "as it is, we are alleged of encroaching upon the parliamentary and executive functions".

Justice B R Gavai, who was heading a bench also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, made a similar observation in another matter.

While one matter was over the recent violence in West Bengal during anti-Waqf law protests, the other plea sought a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to prohibit streaming of sexually explicit and pornographic content on OTT and social media platforms.

While hearing the plea on online content, Justice Gavai said, "Who can control it? It is for the Union (government) to frame a regulation in that regard." Gavai is set to be the next chief justice of India.

In a related development, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said everything the apex court said was consistent with the country's constitutional values and guided by national interest.

Sibal's remarks in a post on X came soon after Dhankhar asserted that every word spoken by a constitutional functionary was guided by supreme national interest.