Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns as Vice President; here's how he made headlines

From impeachment motion against Jagdeep Dhankhar to allegations of being biased, here's how Vice President Dhankhar made headlines in his short tenure

Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was serving as the 14th Vice President of India, resigned from his office on Monday with immediate effect. Dhankhar, who was also the Rajya Sabha chairman, cited health reasons for his resignation.

 

His resignation came hours after he presided over the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament. In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said, “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.” 

 

 

Hours after Dhankhar resigned, the opposition raised questions over his exit, with the Congress party claiming that that is far more to his resignation than meets the eye.  Taking to X, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh said, “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.” 

 

Apart from his unexpected resignation, here’s how Dhankhar made headlines during his vice-presidential term:

 

1. In December 2024, Jagdeep Dhankhar became the first person to hold the second-highest constitutional posts in the nation, to face the prospects of impeachment. Congress-led INDIA bloc submitted a no-confidence motion against him, alleging biased functioning of the House under his leadership. Soon after, both Houses of Parliament witnessed raucous 48 hours.

 

2. Shortly after assuming office in August 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar’s tenure as Rajya Sabha chairman began amid controversy. During the Parliament’s winter session that year, he criticised the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision on National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, a “glaring instance” of “severe compromise” of parliamentary sovereignty and disregard of the “mandate of the people”. 

 

3. In August 2023, Dhankhar told Opposition members that he neither could nor would compel Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the House, asserting that such a decision lay solely with the Prime Minister. That same year, tensions escalated when 146 Members of Parliament from both Houses were suspended after demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah regarding a major security breach within the Parliament complex.

 

4. Earlier in April this year, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal accused Dhankhar of being biased and criticised the latter’s objection to Article 142 of the Indian Constitution, which allows the Supreme Court to pass any order necessary to ensure “complete justice.”

 

5. Earlier this month, Dhankhar inaugurated Jawaharlal Nehru University's first academic conference on Indian Knowledge Systems. A brief scuffle broke out after JNUSU office-bearers, including president Nitish Kumar, who came in a wheelchair, were stopped midway by the security as they tried to march towards the convention centre where Dhankhar was speaking.