‘I belong to no party, I belong to every party’: Congress cites Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to wish new V-P CP Radhakrishnan

Congress cited academician, philosopher, statesman and former President of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, to wish newly elected Vice President, CP Radhakrishnan, who was fielded by the ruling NDA. The INDIA bloc had fielded former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy who lost to Radhakrishnan. 

“While extending its best wishes to Shri CP Radhakrishnan, the newly-elected Vice President of India who will also be the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Indian National Congress recalls the wise words of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the very first Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha," said Congress MP and General Secretary in-charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh.

On the opening day of the Rajya Sabha on May 16, 1952, the very eminent philosopher-educationist-author-diplomat had said: ‘I belong to no party, and that means I belong to every party in this House. It shall be my endeavour to uphold the traditions, the highest traditions, of parliamentary democracy and act towards each party with fairness and impartiality with ill-will to none and goodwill to all...A democracy is likely to degenerate into a tyranny if it does not allow the opposition groups to criticise fairly, freely, and frankly the policies of the Government…’ Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan practised what he preached, both in letter and spirit,” Ramesh said. 

NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan secured 452 votes against opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300.  After the results were declared, the Congress described the BJP's "arithmetical" victory as both a moral and political defeat for the ruling party. The party said the Opposition remained united and performed respectably in the election.

Ramesh said the Opposition's performance was respectable, noting that their candidate secured 40 per cent of the vote compared to 26 per cent in the 2022 vice presidential elections.

The Congress MP’s citation of Dr Radhakrishnan comes in the light of the questions the opposition had raised on the abrupt departure of former V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21. Opposition leaders said there was more than what met the eye and Dhankhar prioritising his health was not all there was. 

He had indicated that Dhakhar, who “took both the government and the opposition to task in equal measure” rubbed the ruling party the wrong way before stepping down from his post.