Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns: In a surprise late-evening development, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar announced Monday that he was stepping down from his post, two years to go for the end of his five-year tenure, citing health concerns.
His resignation, addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, was with immediate effect, and hence it is unlikely that Dhankhar will be presiding over the Rajya Sabha in his capacity as its ex-officio Chairman Tuesday. While Opposition leaders speculated about the reasons for his resignation, coming on the first day of the Monsoon Session, there was no immediate reaction from the government.
“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,” Dhankhar, 74, said in his letter to the President.
According to sources, the Vice President had an “unscheduled” meeting with President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan hours before his resignation. There was no official statement from either the President’s or the Vice President’s office regarding the content of their discussion.
Earlier this year, Dhankhar had been hospitalised after complaining of uneasiness, and underwent a procedure. But since then, he had performed his official duties in the House as well as attended events across the country.
Incidentally, earlier Monday, the Vice President’s Office had put out a statement announcing a one-day official visit to Jaipur on July 23. Days earlier, speaking at an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, Dhankhar had said, in a lighter vein: “I will retire at the right time, August 2027, subject to divine intervention.” August 10, 2027, was when his tenure was to end.
While the resignation came out of the blue, there was frenetic speculation over its timing.
As per a senior BJP leader, the government had to face “much embarrassment” Monday as it was moving a motion sponsored by it for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma in the Lok Sabha. Dhankhar made a mention of the one moved by the Opposition in the Upper House.
“Hon’ble members, I need to inform you that I have received notice of motion…to constitute a statutory committee for removal of Justice Yashwant Varma… It is signed by more than 50 members of the Council of States, and thus it meets the numerical requirement… for setting in motion a process for removal of a high court judge,” Dhankhar said.
As he was presiding over the House as Chairman at the time, his word was binding on the government, and the government apparently did not appreciate Dhankhar announcing it “without consulting the Treasury Benches”. “While the government was trying to build a consensus to move the motion (in the Lok Sabha), the Rajya Sabha Chairman accepted a notice which only had signatures of the Opposition MPs and made a statement. It was a big embarrassment for the government,” said a BJP leader.
“The government did not want a motion moved in the Rajya Sabha because there is already a notice from the Opposition seeking the removal of Justice Shekhar Yadav in the House, for which the ruling party is not ready,” the senior leader added.
Sources said Dhankhar, a lawyer by profession, was caught in a bind on the Justice Yadav matter as the Opposition technically has the numbers to move the motion (50 MPs), and he could not reject it.
While Dhankhar did not mention the Justice Yadav case Monday, he referred to it, speaking about the motion he had received in December 2024 from 55 MPs, seeking removal of a judge of a High Court of Allahabad. “I examined and found that one member had signed at two places… An inquiry was conducted to find out who had signed twice, allegedly. The honourable member declined his second signature, that made the matter more serious because it was required of me then to get to the bottom of the issue… That process is under progress. I will get an update and come back to the House,” Dhankhar said.
While Justice Varma is facing an inquiry over alleged recovery of currency from his home, the Opposition wants Justice Yadav removed for objectionable remarks at a VHP event.
While presiding over the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar also said that according to the Judges (Inquiry) Act, as notices of a motion against Justice Varma had been submitted on the same day in both Houses of Parliament, a committee to examine the charges levelled against him would be constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker and himself as the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Some BJP leaders claim the party was not happy with Dhankhar’s frequent run-ins with the judiciary either. Among other things, he had criticised the Supreme Court over its landmark judgment setting deadlines for the President and governors to clear Bills passed by state Assemblies, saying India cannot have a situation where the judiciary directs the President.
On the Justice Varma matter too, Dhankhar had taken on the judiciary, saying its “independence” could not be a cover against inquiry.
The remarks of the Vice President were seen as reflecting the government’s, leaving it vulnerable to unwarranted criticism, said BJP leaders.
Last year, amidst farmers’ protests in parts of the country in December, Dhankar had taken everyone by surprise by publicly asking Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan if any promise had been made to farmers and why it had not been fulfilled. He went on to say that farmers were “suffering” but “we are doing nothing”.
Commenting on the suddenness of Dhankhar’s resignation, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh spoke about his interactions with the Vice President all through Monday in the House, and pointed out that Dhankhar 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.”
Opening the Monsoon Session earlier in the day, Dhankhar had urged members across party lines to reduce acrimony. “While political parties may pursue the same goals through different approaches, no one in India opposes the nation’s interests… Dialogue and discussion, not conflict, are the way forward.”
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar thanked the President for her “unwavering support” and the “soothing, wonderful working relationship” they shared. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers for their “invaluable support,” and wrote that the warmth and affection shown by Members of Parliament “will remain embedded in my memory.”
