Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned on the very first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, had reportedly collapsed during an event in Delhi just days earlier. The health scare is believed to have prompted his decision to step down, as he later cited “medical advice” and the need to prioritise his “health” in his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
“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,” read the first paragraph of his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
His resignation came as both “shocking” and “abrupt” to many, who speculated that his repeated clashes with the judiciary and the Opposition’s notice in the Rajya Sabha to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma as possible reasons behind the Centre summoning him and asking him to resign.
Dhankhar had collapsed in Delhi
As early as July 17, Dhankhar visited Yamuna Vatika and Baansera, developed by DDA, on Yamuna floodplains with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar and Delhi LG VK Saxena. There, he collapsed, and his wife offered him water as well. He, as per reports, took some time to recover and was assisted out of the place.
Dhankhar’s declining health condition
Earlier this month, he was seen walking by taking support from his wife and an aide during his visit to Kerala.
These are not isolated incidents, as in June, he collapsed while attending the Golden Jubilee of Kumaon University during his visit to Nainital in Uttarakhand. As per reports, the event was taking place inside a room which was “stuffy” and the day was “unusually hot”. This reportedly led him to lose consciousness and faint.
Dhankhar was admitted to AIIMS Delhi in March this year after he complained of uneasiness in his chest. He underwent angioplasty there, and doctors advised him to take rest and avoid outstation trips for some time for a speedy recovery.
President Murmu had accepted his resignation, and the same was notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
PM Narendra Modi also acknowledged his resignation from the post of vice president and Chairman of Rajya Sabha and wished him good health. “Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health,” PM Modi wrote on X.