Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation, officially due to health reasons, has sparked political shock and speculation. Congress alleges deeper reasons, including BJP silence, missed meetings and tension over an impeachment motion.
On Monday night, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar shocked the nation by resigning from his post, saying it was for 'health reasons'. This came just hours after he actively took part in Parliament business and chaired important meetings.
Many leaders, including members of the Opposition, were left confused and surprised. While his official reason is health, several Congress leaders are now asking – was there more to this story?
Let us break down what happened, who is saying what and why this resignation has sparked such a debate.
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What happened before Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned?
On July 21, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar went about his usual work as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He attended a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting at 12:30 PM, where several top leaders including BJP's JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju were expected. The BAC decided to meet again at 4:30 PM.
But at 4:30 PM, something odd happened, both Nadda and Rijiju did not show up. According to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, they also did not inform Dhankhar that they would not attend. This reportedly upset Dhankhar, who then rescheduled the meeting for the next day, say reports.
Later that evening, around 6 PM, Dhankhar met with Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh, Pramod Tiwari and Akhilesh Prasad Singh. All three say that the meeting felt completely normal, with Dhankhar showing no sign of health trouble or plans to quit.
Just a couple of hours later, the news broke that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar had resigned.
What did his resignation letter say?
Dhankhar's official resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu 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."
He also thanked the President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their support during his tenure.
Why the Opposition is suspicious
Congress and other opposition leaders say that the resignation is too sudden and strange to be only about health. They point to a few key points:
Active Till the Last Moment: Dhankhar chaired meetings, addressed the Rajya Sabha, and even spoke about an upcoming committee he wanted to be part of.
No Sign of Illness: He looked healthy and normal during meetings. Congress MPs who met him said he appeared fine.
Big Political Moves Underway: That same day, Dhankhar informed the Rajya Sabha that he had received a notice for an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Verma, backed by over 100 MPs.
Important BJP Leaders Were Absent: JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju, two top BJP leaders, missed the key BAC meeting without explanation, which Congress sees as a sign of a larger plan.
Congress leader Sukhdeo Bhagat even claimed, 'The script was written earlier'.
Congress's Renuka Chowdhury mocked BJP, saying 'there's strange virus in BJP and everything was with 'Jaat' Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot went on to say, "I have said recently that Vice President and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla are working under pressure..."
BJP and NDA's response
While BJP has not officially given a detailed statement, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey mocked the Opposition, saying they are behaving like characters in a Kader Khan film. He said the Opposition had just tried to move a proposal to remove Dhankhar and should at least show concern for his health now.
Dubey also reminded people of a December Reuters report, where Opposition parties had reportedly discussed impeaching Dhankhar for being too biased.
BJP MP Ravi Kishan on the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Opposition was doing politics on someone's health, which shows the falling level of politics."
What else might have triggered the resignation?
There is one more strange detail. During his last address to the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar mentioned that a bundle of ₹500 notes was found under a seat in the House. No one claimed it. He called it 'deeply concerning'.
Some believe this event, combined with the impeachment notice and political drama, may have pushed him to quit.
Also, just a few days earlier at a public event, Dhankhar had clearly said he would complete his full term until August 2027 — unless there was 'divine intervention'. His sudden exit, then, seems even more surprising.
INDIA bloc prepares to respond
The Congress-led INDIA alliance held a meeting at 10 AM the next day to plan their response. Sources say they want to understand the full picture and decide on their strategy going forward, especially regarding the impeachment motion and what happens next in the Rajya Sabha without Dhankhar.
Was it planned all along?
Opposition leaders are asking if the resignation was due to health, why not do it before the Parliament session started? Why not inform senior MPs earlier in the day? Why did important ministers vanish from meetings?
CPI MP Sandosh Kumar said that only the BJP can answer what really happened, comparing the sudden exit to other midnight decisions like demonetisation and GST rollout.
(With ANI inputs)
