New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, on Tuesday announced that Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation as Vice President of India has been accepted by the President of India Draupadi Murmu. Deputy Rajya Sabha Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh was seen chairing the proceedings after Dhankhar's resignation.
The Chair said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has, wide it's notification, conveyed resignation of Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar under 67A of the Constitution with immediate effect The announcement was made just before the upper house of Parliament was adjourned until 2:00 PM today.
PM Modi's Tweet
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, saying, "Jagdeep Dhankhar has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health." Amid mounting speculations over reasons behind Jagdeep Dhankar's resignation, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi today morning said that the relationship between the Vice President and the centre doesn't seem like before.
Labelling Dhankar's resignation as "sudden and unfortunate", Gogoi said that the Vice President presided over Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings on Monday. He expressed that the relationship between Dhankar and the central government might have taken a hit given that a Union Minister was also not present in the BAC meeting, which was scheduled for yesterday afternoon.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel expressed doubts over the "health reasons" cited by Jagdeep Dhankar for his resignation as Vice President of India, saying it was an indication of "an impending political storm".
He said that Dhankar's resignation comes after two ministers, including Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda, failed to attend the afternoon meeting on Monday.
"Yesterday, I was also there, and he was also present in the meeting. He was fine and in good health... In the second meeting, Union Minister JP Nadda did not attend, and subsequently, a resignation occurred, so it is not related to health issues. It is a serious matter that the VP resigned during the ongoing session. This is an indication of an impending (political) storm," Baghel told reporters here.
Claim Made By Congress MP Jairam Ramesh
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh claimed that there was more to Dhankar's "unexpected" resignation as Vice President than meets the eye.
"The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is unimaginable. Until around 5 PM this evening, I was with him, along with several other MPs, and at 7:30 PM, I had a phone conversation with him. Undoubtedly, Jagdeep Dhankhar should prioritise his health above all else. However, it is also clear that there is more to his completely unexpected resignation than meets the eye. Nevertheless, this is not the time for speculation," the Congress leader posted on X.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar Announces His Resignation
Earlier on Monday, VP Dhankar had announced his resignation on health grounds.
"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," Dhankar's resignation letter read.
This development comes after sources informed that a committee is expected to be constituted to further investigate the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, following the notices given by MPs in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for his removal. Justice Verma was indicted by an in-house inquiry committee after semi-burnt wads of cash were found in his residence following a fire incident.
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