In a move that has triggered political speculation, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post with two years left in his term. The decision came on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
The move followed a fire incident at Justice Yashwant Varma’s New Delhi residence yesterday. Burned wads of currency notes were reportedly found during the fire. This prompted parliamentarians to submit a bipartisan notice seeking his removal. The notice was signed by 145 Lok Sabha members.
Naturally, this backdrop has activated rumour mills. It’s debated whether Dhankhar’s resignation is linked to the event.
According to various reports, in his resignation letter to the President of India, Dhankhar wrote: “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”
Medical reasons aside, the announcement sparked reactions, with opposition leaders questioning the timing. Dhankhar, 74, had taken office in August 2022 and was expected to serve until 2027. His tenure as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha saw frequent clashes with the Opposition.
The sudden nature of the resignation has also left even those close to Dhankhar visibly surprised. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who had been in conversation with him earlier the same day, said, “No doubt Mr Dhankhar has to give topmost priority to his health. But, clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye.”
He added, “I had a conversation with him shortly before the announcement,” and expressed concern over the abruptness of the decision.
Furthermore, other reports claim that sources in the Congress also linked the resignation to a controversy surrounding a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Monday. According to party leaders, Dhankhar had convened the BAC at 12:30 PM, which was attended by most members, including BJP leaders JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju. The committee decided to reconvene at 4:30 PM, but by then both Nadda and Rijiju were absent. Union Minister L Murugan represented the government and requested the meeting be rescheduled for the next day. The two meetings reportedly remained inconclusive.
Ramesh, who was part of the BAC, alleged that the Vice President was not personally informed of the ministers’ absence: “It waited for Shri Nadda and Shri Rijiju to arrive. They never came. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar was not personally informed that the two senior Ministers were not attending. Rightly he took umbrage and rescheduled the BAC for today at 1 pm.”
He added, “Something very serious happened yesterday between 1 pm and 4.30 pm to account for the deliberate absence of Nadda and Rijiju from the second BAC yesterday.”
JP Nadda later defended the absence, saying, “Kiren Rijiju and I did not attend the meeting called by the Vice President at 4:30 PM because we were occupied with other important parliamentary work, and prior intimation was given to the office of the Honourable Vice President.”
A separate remark made by Nadda in the Rajya Sabha during an Opposition uproar added to the tension. He had said, “Nothing will go on record, only what I say will go on record,” which Congress called an “insult” to the Vice President. Nadda responded, “It was directed at the interrupting Opposition MPs, not at the Chair.”
On what turned out to be his final day in office, Dhankhar had presided over proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, including discussions on the impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma. He also met with several Opposition leaders but gave no indication of any health concerns or plans to step down.
Meanwhile, the Congress urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to persuade Dhankhar to reconsider his resignation. Jairam Ramesh said, “This will be in the nation’s interest. The farming community particularly will be greatly relieved.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, “Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health.” (Sic.)
Reaction to the resignation poured in from multiple parties. CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar called it “quite unexpected” and said, “We don’t know what the reasons are. I don’t think that the President of India will accept it. This might be an initial reaction from his side. He might be dissatisfied with some developments.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey questioned the timing and transparency of the decision:
“The news of the vice president resigning due to health reasons is concerning. We sincerely pray for his well-being. However, a question arises, today marked the first day of the Monsoon session, and his resignation on the same day raises eyebrows. What is going on in this government? This decision came without proper consultation or discussion. If health was the concern, the resignation could have been submitted a few days before the session or even after.”
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan added: “I saw that the Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar has submitted his resignation. He wrote to the President of India. He gave medical reasons for this. We can only pray that his health improves quickly….”
Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal expressed personal disappointment but praised Dhankhar’s honesty and conduct:
“We have to accept that and move forward. Personally, I did not feel nice. I had very good ties with him. There was no ill-feeling. He used to speak his mind and not keep things in his heart. Though our ideologies did not match, he never used to keep things in his heart. When I wanted to have more time to speak in the Rajya Sabha, he used to give me more time.”
Sibal added, “These were his good points. He is a nationalist and patriot. He wanted the opposition and the government to work together to enhance India’s standing in the world.”
Dhankhar becomes only the third Vice President in India’s history to resign before completing a full term, after VV Giri and R Venkataraman—both of whom resigned to contest the presidential election. Unlike them, Dhankhar’s resignation remains officially tied to medical advice, but politically, it has opened a Pandora’s box of unanswered questions.
Also Read: Cong Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil Demands Justice For Surat Farmers https://www.vibesofindia.com/cong-rajya-sabha-mp-shaktisinh-gohil-demands-justice-for-surat-farmers/
