A day after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s surprise announcement that he was stepping down as Vice President with immediate effect, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday notified his resignation.
In a gazette notification signed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the MHA attached Dhankhar’s resignation letter which he made public on Monday evening.
“The following resignation of Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President of India, is hereby published for general information,” said the gazette notification on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the Rajya Sabha was informed about the MHA’s notification.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh presided over the proceedings of the House in the morning. He also called on President Droupadi Murmu in the evening.
As soon as the Rajya Sabha met in the morning, Harivansh announced: “The occurrence of vacancy in the office of honourable Vice President is envisaged in the Constitution. As and when communication in respect of further constitutional process is received, same shall be shared.”
The Rajya Sabha was then adjourned till noon as Opposition MPs disrupted proceedings, demanding discussions on various issues including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. CPI member
P Sandosh Kumar also gave a notice to discuss Dhankhar’s “unexpected and unprecedented” resignation.
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When the House reconvened at noon, Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was chairing the proceedings, said: “The Ministry of Home Affairs, vide a notification on July 22, has conveyed the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar under Article 67A of the Constitution with immediate effect.” The House was then adjourned till 2 pm as the Opposition continued to protest.
Dhankhar, meanwhile, is learnt to have remained at his official residence on Tuesday. He did not go to Parliament or attend any meetings. As per the Vice-President’s Pension, Housing and Other Facilities Rules, 1999, former V-Ps are entitled to a government residence in any station of their choice for the remainder of their life.
While the government did not respond to Dhankhar’s resignation on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said in a post on X: “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.”
Reacting to the PM’s post, Congress MP and communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh said the PM’s “non-post” on Dhankhar’s “forced resignation has only added to the mystery of his abrupt exit”. “Surely the PM could have been a bit more gracious — he is, after all, the supreme master of hypocrisy. The kisanputra is being denied even a dignified farewell,” he said on X.
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In a separate post, Ramesh said Dhankhar’s resignation “speaks highly of him” and “also speaks poorly of those who had got him elected as V-P”.
Terming Dhankhar’s resignation as an “unprecedented move”, Ramesh said: “He has given health reasons for doing so. Those should be respected. But it is also a fact that there are far deeper reasons for his resignation.”
CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar said Dhankhar’s resignation shows the “mysterious ways in which BJP functions”. “It shows how the BJP deals with people in highest offices. The resignation was so sudden, and shows how the top two people in BJP handle people. It is an aristocratic system,” he told The Indian Express. —inputs from Damini Nath
