The sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, citing health reasons, has sparked speculation that his decision may be linked to the Opposition’s resolution to impeach former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma over corruption charges.
Sources say the government was preparing to bring its own impeachment motion against Justice Varma in both Houses and expected it to come up in the Rajya Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting. But they were surprised when Vice President Dhankhar unexpectedly mentioned the Opposition’s resolution during the meeting and said it would be taken up the next day at 1 pm. This caught many off guard as the impeachment issue wasn’t officially on the BAC agenda yet.
Following the unexpected move by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to take up the Opposition’s impeachment resolution, sources say he received several calls from senior ministers expressing strong disapproval. One senior minister reportedly said Dhankhar had already been under observation and criticised his actions as inappropriate for someone in his constitutional position.
According to sources, this led to a heated exchange between Dhankhar and the ministers, during which he conveyed that he had sensed growing displeasure from the government. Feeling cornered and isolated, he is believed to have decided to resign “as soon as possible.”
On the same day, two meetings of the Rajya Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) were held. The first meeting, at 12:30 pm, was attended by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and JP Nadda. However, during the second meeting at 4:30 pm, both were absent, and Union Minister L Murugan represented the government instead.
Jagdeep Dhankhar Resignation
On Monday, Jagdeep Dhankhar announced his resignation from the post of Vice President, stating that he is stepping down to prioritize his health and follow medical advice.
"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 said in a letter.
