Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar‘s sudden resignation has drawn a lot of speculation and debate, especially from the Opposition. Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday, citing health reasons and formally submitted his resignation to President Draupadi Mumru, effective immediately.
Congress general secretary-in charge Jairam Ramesh has described Dhankhar’s resignation as “shocking as it is inexplicable” and has urged him to reconsider his decision.
Ramesh said he had met the Vice President in person till around 5 PM and also spoke to him over the phone at 7:30 PM. “No doubt Mr. Dhankhar has to give topmost priority to his health,” he said, “but clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye.”
The Congress MP added that Dhankhar had scheduled a meeting of the Rajya Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee for Tuesday at 1 PM, and was also expected to make some “major announcements” related to the judiciary.
“This is not the time for speculation though,” Ramesh said.
He praised Dhankhar for being critical of both the government and the Opposition when needed. “Mr. Dhankhar took both the Government and the Opposition to task in equal measure,” Ramesh said.
The Congress leader ended his message by wishing the Vice President good health and asking the Prime Minister to step in. “We also expect the Prime Minister to get Mr. Dhankhar to change his mind. This will be in the nation’s interest. The farming community particularly will be greatly relieved,” he said.
A rushed decision or half truth? Opposition leaders chime in
Several Opposition leaders have reacted sharply to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation, saying the timing raises many questions. Some leaders said that it did not appear that he was unwell and that he looked fine during the day’s proceedings in the Rajya Sabha. A few leaders also suggested that there might be political reasons behind the move, especially since the resignation came just as the Monsoon Session began. Some even said the decision seemed rushed or possibly made under pressure. While many wished Dhankhar good health, they also said that the full truth behind his decision would likely come out soon.
While senior Congress leader P Chidambaram acknowledged the resignation was said to be for medical reasons and wished the Vice President good health and a long life, Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on the other hand, hinted that there may be more behind the Vice President’s resignation than just health concerns.
He said politics is not always straightforward and pointed to the upcoming Bihar elections. “Two and two don’t always make four. In politics, not everything is straight,” he said. Bhagat said that he felt the timing of the resignation, which was late in the evening, appeared unusual and possibly done under pressure or as part of a plan.
Echoing Bhagat’s sentiments, Javed Ali Khan from the Samajwadi Party said, “Today, it didn’t seem like there is a health issue.” He said the Vice President appeared to be in good health when he saw him in the Rajya Sabha. He added that things didn’t seem wrong during the day but hoped Dhankhar stays healthy if there is any issue. He felt that the real reason behind the resignation might become clear soon.
CPI(M)’s John Brittas expressed that he was deeply troubled by suggestions that the resignation may not only be due to health reasons. “The entire House was working with him — even today. It is shocking that he has resigned,” Brittas said.
RJD MP Sudhakar Singh also said Dhankhar looked completely fine during the Rajya Sabha session. He suggested that this may be a sign of deeper political problems within the BJP or the government. He said it doesn’t look like a health issue but wished Dhankhar well anyway.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar too said the resignation was a surprise and it was unclear why Dhankhar stepped down. He said the President might not even accept it and added that Dhankhar may be unhappy with something that happened recently.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said the resignation raises serious questions since it came on the first day of the Monsoon Session. He felt such a decision, if based on health, could have been taken earlier or after the session. He was concerned that the resignation came suddenly and without proper consultation.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said that he didn’t want to guess the reasons behind the resignation. He simply said that Dhankhar had been one of the most active and involved Rajya Sabha Chairmen in recent years, often encouraging both sides to work together.
BJP’s silence
While the Opposition has been questioning Dhankhar’s abrupt move, there has been no such response from the BJP leaders. Before his unexpected resignation in the evening, reports suggest that Dhankhar had held three meetings. He met floor leaders at the start of the Parliament monsoon session and later held two rounds of talks with the Business Advisory Committee between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to discuss which bills would be taken up during the session. According to multiple media reports, two MPs who attended the meetings said that Dhankhar gave no signs of stepping down.
Dhankar’s past clashes with Opposition
The Opposition has had many disagreements with Dhankhar during his time as Rajya Sabha Chairman. In December last year, Opposition parties even moved a no-confidence motion against him. They accused him of not being neutral and of favouring the government during House proceedings.
They also said he often acted like a spokesperson for the government in public and interrupted Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha. The notice mentioned that he made public comments that were critical of Opposition leaders and their views about how the government was functioning.