New Delhi, Aug 9 : Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday strongly criticised the Opposition for 'showing disrespect' towards "the Chair" (referring to Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar).

Amid an uproar during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Chouhan emphasised that 'the House is not merely a structure of bricks and stones but a revered temple of democracy'.

Chouhan recounted his extensive experience, noting that he has served in both the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly six times each. But in all these years, he has never encountered such unruly and inappropriate behaviour from the Opposition, the former Madhya Pradesh CHief Minister said.

He also asserted that it has become clear that this "irresponsible Opposition is determined to plunge the country into chaos".

He expressed deep distress and pain over the Opposition's behaviour, stating that it was not merely an insult to the Chair but a direct affront to the democratic values of the country.

He also called it an attack on democracy and the Constitution itself.

Chouhan further said that the members of the House come to answer questions, and the answers are not just for those who ask the questions but for the people.

However, the behaviour during the Question Hour on Friday has no parallel, he claimed, adding, 'The opposition should apologise, as their actions have embarrassed the entire House and the nation.'

The uproar began when Congress MP Jairam Ramesh raised a contentious issue before the Question Hour concerning the remarks made by BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari who accused Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge of being part of a dynastic political legacy.

In fact, a few days ago in the Rajya Sabha, Ghanshyam Tiwari made a comment about Mallikarjun Kharge that caused significant uproar. Kharge responded by saying that his father had carefully chosen his name. During that time, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had assured that he would review Tiwari's comment, noting that it did not seem intended to offend Kharge.

Kharge had said that his father had thoughtfully chosen his name with the intention of linking it to one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. He also questioned why Ghanshyam Tiwari had an issue with his name, suggesting that Tiwari's comments were unwarranted.

Kharge also refuted accusations of dynastic politics, asserting that he was the first member of his family to enter politics.

/IANS