Dhankhar’s Surprise Visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan Sent President’s Staff Into Tizzy

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar surprised Rashtrapati Bhavan staff with an unannounced visit to meet President Droupadi Murmu, where he submitted his resignation. The unexpected move caused a stir before being confirmed by the Home Ministry.

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu late Tuesday evening, taking both political and official circles by surprise.

Unscheduled Visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan Raises Eyebrows

The unexpected visit occurred at around 9 PM, when Dhankhar arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan without any prior appointment, an unusual move in the tightly protocol-governed environment of the President’s office. His arrival prompted immediate action from the staff, with the aide-de-camp (ADC) informing the military secretary about the surprise visitor.

Following an urgent arrangement, Dhankhar met with President Murmu and officially handed over his resignation letter, as mandated by the Constitution. Just 25 minutes later, he made the news public via a post on X (formerly Twitter), marking an abrupt and unforeseen end to his tenure.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) confirmed the resignation in an official gazette notification released on Tuesday. Signed by Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the notification stated: “Resignation of Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice-President of India, is hereby published for general information.”

No Prior Indication of Resignation During Day's Events

Earlier in the day, there had been no indication of Dhankhar’s impending resignation. Parliamentary proceedings were conducted normally, and the Vice President maintained a routine schedule, further deepening the shock factor of the announcement.

In a separate yet notable development, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also visited President Murmu on Tuesday. Having presided over the morning session of the Upper House, he later met with the President. Rashtrapati Bhavan shared a photograph of this meeting on its official X handle.

No Photo of Murmu-Dhankhar Meeting Released Publicly

Interestingly, no photograph of the meeting between President Murmu and Vice President Dhankhar has been released to the public, adding a layer of intrigue to the high-profile development.