'Should Tell Us…': Congress President Kharge On Jagdeep Dhankhar's Resignation As Vice President

Earlier this week, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President of India “to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice.” His resignation, timed with the beginning of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, has raised questions and prompted speculation among Opposition leaders.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with former VP Jagdeep Dhankhar (Credit: File Photo/ANI)

Congress President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Sunday said he was unaware of the reason behind Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation. He added that the details of the resignation were a matter between Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

ANI quoted Kharge as saying, "I don’t know anything because he was always in favour of the government. He should tell us what happened, because he never allowed us to discuss issues related to farmers, the poor, and foreign policy issues." 

"When we raised issues related to the poor, atrocities on women and Dalits, and whenever we raised Hindu-Muslim issues, he never allowed us, even though we gave notices. What happened and why he resigned is between him and PM Modi. They must tell," the senior Congress leader added.

Jgadeep Dhankhar’s Resignation

Earlier this week, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President of India “to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice.” Dhankhar, who was also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, sent 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," the letter said.
"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,” his resignation read. 

The resignation came after the conclusion of the first day of the Parliament’s 2025 monsoon session.

Oppn On Dhankhar’s Exit

Dhankhar's sudden exit surprised everyone and provided fresh ammunition to the Opposition, many of whom see this as a political move. 

Rajya Sabha's Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Thursday reportedly rejected nearly 30 adjournment notices given by Opposition party members over various issues, including discussing the "unexpected resignation of Chairman Rajya Sabha" and former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. 

Indian Union Muslim League MP, Abdul Wahab, had demanded a discussion under Rule 267, on the 'unexpected resignation of Honourable Chairman Rajya Sabha.' Multiple Opposition leaders have repeatedly raised questions over the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, claiming that the former VP might have been forced to resign due to differences between leaders.

Jagdeep Dhankhar has served as the 14th Vice President of India since August 2022. The resignation came after the conclusion of the first day of the Parliament’s 2025 monsoon session. 

On July 16, 2022, the BJP announced Dhankhar as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for VP. In the Vice Presidential election held on August 6, 2022, Dhankhar defeated opposition candidate Margaret Alva with 528 out of 710 valid votes, the highest margin of victory since 1992.

(with agencies’ inputs)