Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns! Cites health reasons

New Delhi: In a completely unexpected and unusual move, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned citing health reasons, after the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and after presiding over the Rajya Sabha on the first half of the first day of the Monsoon Session. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, he said he was stepping down with immediate effect.

The Hindu reported that President Murmu has not yet indicated whether she has accepted Dhankhar’s resignation.

If President Draupadi Murmu accepts Dhankhar's resignation, the Rajya Sabha will have to complete the Monsoon Session under the chairmanship of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan. If the resignation is accepted during this session, which would create a crisis for Parliament and the government, an election for the new Vice President will become inevitable. The Vice President will be elected by the MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Dhankhar, who took office as the Vice President on August 6, 2022, resigned with two years left in his term.

“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 wrote in his resignation letter to the President, which was shared on his official X account.

He wrote, “I extend my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency- the Hon’ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure. I express my deepest gratituted to the Hon’nle Prime Minister and the esteemed Council of Ministers.”

Dhankhar, who presided over the first half of the first day of the Monsoon Session in Rajya Sabha, had made an important intervention in the Opposition-sponsored impeachment motion of High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. He didn’t appear for the post-lunch session of the day.

Even as late as 7:30 pm on Monday, there was no indication of his resignation, a Congress leader told The Hindu.

"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 Jairam Ramesh said.

"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. This is not the time for speculation though. Mr Dhankhar took both the government and the opposition to task in equal measure. 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 in a post on X.

"We wish him the best of health but also request him to reconsider his decision. We also expect the prime minister to get Mr Dhankar to change his mind. This will be in the nation's interest. The farming community particularly, will be greatly relieved," Ramesh also said.

In the recent months, Dhankhar had issued multiple controversial statements backing the BJP government in the Centre. He is known for his pro-Hindutva and pro-BJP take on various national issues. Recently he called the inclusion of the words "secular" and "socialist" during the Emergency a "sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatana", a term commonly associated with Hinduism. He also likened the Preamble to a person's parents — something foundational and unchangeable.

On June 26, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — called for a re-evaluation of the Preamble’s phrasing.

Dhankhar was also of the opinion that Parliament has supreme power and no provision in the Constitution for any authority above Parliament and asserted that it is the elected representatives who ultimately determine the content of the Constitution. His statements, allegedly demeaning the Judiciary, made a lawyer to move contempt proceedings against him, for his direct attack on the authority and dignity of the Supreme Court.

In December last, the opposition moved a no-confidence motion against Dhankar for his dismissal, alleging him of 'partisan' conduct as Chairman of the Upper House.