Opposition raises questions over ex Vice President Dhankhar's resignation

'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,' said Jairam Ramesh

The opposition on Monday raised questions over Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation as the vice president, with the Congress saying that clearly, there is "far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye".

The Congress also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince Dhankhar to change his mind.

In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons. 

 

He has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect.

"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," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

"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 said.

This is not the time for speculation though, Ramesh added. 

 

Dhankhar took both the government and the opposition to task in equal measure, he said.

"He had fixed a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee tomorrow at 1 PM. He was also to make some major announcements related to the judiciary tomorrow," Ramesh said.

"We wish him the best of health but also request him to reconsider his decision. We also expect the Prime Minister to get Mr Dhankhar to change his mind. This will be in the nation's interest," the Congress leader said.

The farming community, in particular, will be greatly relieved if Dhankhar changed his mind, he added.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram noted that Dhankhar has resigned citing "medical reasons", and wished him good health and a long life.

Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P Sandosh Kumar said the development is quite unexpected and "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," Kumar said.

Soon after Dhankhar resigned as the vice president, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal hailed him as a patriot and said since he has cited health reasons for his decision, it should be accepted and one should move forward.

Reacting to the development, Sibal said Dhankhar has stated clearly that he has resigned on health grounds and there should not be further discussions on this.

"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," the former Union minister said.

"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," Sibal, a senior advocate, said. 

 

On Dhankhar's 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...."  Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said, "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," he said. 

 

In his letter to the president, Dhankhar said, "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."  Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027.

He is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.

Dhankhar had recently undergone angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

In his eventful tenure as the Rajya Sabha chairman, Dhankhar had several run-ins with the opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him. The motion, the first time ever in independent India to remove a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.