The Congress party on Tuesday sought an explanation from the government after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned unexpectedly the previous night, citing health reasons.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said there were “far deeper reasons” behind the move, while the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, asked the Centre to clarify if it had prior knowledge of the resignation.
Gogoi also sought clarification from the government regarding the transition plan for the vice president's post. "The resignation of the Hon'ble Vice President is both sudden and shocking. I wish good health to respected Dhankar ji," he posted on X.
"But it is for the Union government to clarify if they had prior intimation and have planned for a smooth transition. The absence of senior ministers yesterday at a meeting chaired by the Hon'ble Vice President now carries even more significance," he added.
Meanwhile, Ramesh said Dhankhar's resignation reflected well on him but poorly on those who had him elected to the post.
He also raised questions over the absence of Union ministers JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju from the second Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Monday, saying “something very serious” happened between 1 pm and 4.30 pm to explain their deliberate absence.
Ramesh pointed out that Dhankhar chaired the BAC of the Rajya Sabha at 12.30 pm on Monday. "It was attended by most members, including Leader of the House JP Nadda and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju. After some discussion, the BAC decided to meet again at 4.30 pm," he said in a post on X.
At 4.30 pm, the BAC reconvened under Dhankhar’s chairmanship, Ramesh said. "It waited for Shri Nadda and Shri Rijiju to arrive. They never came. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar was not personally informed that the two senior Ministers were not attending. Rightly he took umbrage and rescheduled the BAC for today at 1 pm," Ramesh claimed.
So, "something very serious" happened yesterday between 1 pm and 4.30 pm to account for the deliberate absence of Nadda and Rijiju from the second BAC meeting, he said in a post on Tuesday.
"Now in a truly unprecedented move, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned. 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," Ramesh claimed.
While always lauding the post-2014 India, he spoke fearlessly for the welfare of farmers, forcefully against what he called “ahankar (arrogance)” in public life, and strongly on judicial accountability and restraint, Ramesh said.
"To the extent possible under the current G2 ruling regime, he tried to accommodate the Opposition. He was a stickler for norms, proprieties, and protocol, which he believed were being consistently disregarded in both his capacities," he said.
"Jagdeep Dhankar's resignation speaks highly of him. It also speaks poorly of those who had got him elected as Vice President in the first instance," Ramesh added.
Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said only a person working under pressure can give such a "shocking resignation."
"There is no doubt that this incident is shocking for the whole country," Gehlot said.
He claimed that though Dhankhar cited health concerns for his resignation, people are finding it hard to believe.
"The prime minister is going on a foreign tour and the vice president suddenly resigns, it becomes a topic of discussion in the whole country and the world," he said, noting that Dhankhar had been raising issues of farmers.
"Ten days ago, I said in Jodhpur that both the Rajya Sabha chairman and the Lok Sabha speaker are from Rajasthan and both are working under pressure. The truth has come out," Gehlot said.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said Dhankhar's resignation is an example of the "threat looming over the country's Constitution."
"The hasty resignation of a person holding a big constitutional post like the vice president is a big blow to the dignity of this post. Dhankhar's move is an example of the threat looming over the Constitution," he said.
"At present, Dhankhar has to bear the brunt of this threat and in the coming times, BJP leaders and the country will also have to suffer," he added.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said Dhankhar's resignation was quite unexpected. "While presiding over Rajya Sabha yesterday he was his good jolly self!! Did the way he proactively handled the 2 impeachment motions (Justice Yadav & Verma) yesterday the last straw!!" he said on X.
The Congress has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince Dhankhar to reconsider his decision.
In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons. He sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he was stepping down with immediate effect.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022, with his tenure set to run until 2027. He was also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Dhankhar had recently undergone angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. During his tenure as Rajya Sabha chairman, he had several run-ins with the Opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him. The motion, the first of its kind in independent India seeking the removal of a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.