 "Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns as Vice President; here's all you need to know")
Jagdeep Dhankhar, who served as the 14th Vice President of India, resigned from his office on Monday night with immediate effect, citing health reasons.
In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, he wrote, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”
Who is Jagdeep Dhankhar?
Born on May 18, 1951, in Kithana village of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, Dhankhar served as India’s 14th Vice President, who was elected in August 2022 and was due to complete his term in August 2027. Before serving as the Vice President and chairman of Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar served as the Governor of West Bengal from 2019-2022.
Life and education
He hailed from an agrarian family. Before attending Sainik School in Chittorgarh, Dhankhar completed his early education in his village. He then graduated with a BSc (Honors) Physics from Maharaja’s College, Jaipur. He also studied LLB from the University of Rajasthan.
Dhankhar’s career
In 1979, Dhankhar began practicing law and was enrolled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan as an advocate. In 1990, he was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Rajasthan High Court, practicing primarily in the Supreme Court. His focus area of litigation was in the field of steel, coal, mining, and international commercial arbitration. Dhankhar has appeared in several high courts in the country. Before assuming the charge as the Governor of West Bengal in 2019, he was the senior-most designated Senior Advocate of Rajasthan High Court.
Here’s what happened
Dhankhar’s resignation came just hours after he presided over the first day of the Monsoon session in Parliament. In his letter addressed to President Murmu, Dhankhar expressed “deepest gratitude” for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship they maintained during his tenure.
Expressing appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers, Dhankhar noted, “Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office.”
Political reactions to his resignation
After Dhankhar tendered his resignation as the Vice President of India, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal expressed sadness, describing Dhankhar as one of the most “proactive” Chairmen the Rajya Sabha has seen. He also shed light on their rare personal camaraderie built over four decades. Speaking to ANI, Sibal noted that even though their political views may have diverged, the personal rapport between the two was strong.
Sibal said, “We may have had differences, in respect to our political views, or on opinions, but at a personal level, we had a very strong bond. Whenever I needed time to speak in the House, I met him personally in his chamber, and he never refused me, and gave me a little more time than is otherwise available to independent members of Parliament.”
The Congress party, on the other hand, claimed, “clearly, there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye.” In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh noted, “The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable. I was with him alongside a number of other MPs till around 5 pm today and had spoken to him over the phone at 7.30 pm.”
Commenting on his resignation, AIMIM leader Waris Pathan said, “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....”