By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Health issue is the officially stated reason for the Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation, but it has a political context. It was only in December 2024, Dhankhar had rebuked its own government led by PM Narendra Modi over not talking to agitating farmers of Punjab. He had said that a nation that tested the patience of farmers paid a “heavy price”. Now his resignation is seen as the “heavy price” he had to pay for going against his own government.
The Vice President Dhankhar had sought to know on stage in a Mumbai event from the Union Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan preset there as the why the Centre was not holding a dialogue with the protesting farmers. Dhankhar had said “every moment is critical for you. I urge you, and as the person holding the second-highest constitutional position in India, I request you to please tell me, was any promise made to the farmer, and why has it not been fulfilled? What are we doing to fulfil the promise? There was an agitation last year, and there is one this year as well, and time is passing, but we are doing nothing.” It was a direct indictment of the PM Narendra Modi led Centre, that has not yet accepted the farmers’ demand for the legal guarantee for MSP for their crops.
Dhankhar took over as Vice President of on August 11, 2022 and resigned on July 21, 2025. He is the third Vice President of India after VV Giri and R Venkataraman to resign before completing his term, with only difference that Giri and Venkataraman had stepped down to contest presidential election, but Dhankhar has resigned stating “health concerns and the need to follow medical advice” and his intent to “prioritise health care”.
In the power corridor in New Delhi, people believe that “health issues” may be only one of the reasons, that too a superficial one, behind his resignation. He was seen in good health and vigour on the first day of the Monsoon session of the Parliament. He presided over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha and addressed the issues relating to the opposition motions and opposition’s demand for a statement of Prime Minister and discussion on Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and ensuing events including Trump’s claims.
Dhankhar had convened the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha at 12:30 PM, which was also attended by Union Ministers J P Nadda and Kiren Rijiju. However, discussions remained incomplete which made him reconvene the meeting at 4:30 PM. Nadda and Rijiju were absent, and the government was represented by the Union Minister L Murugan. It was the first time Dhankhar was seen visibly unhappy, and then he rescheduled the meeting for July 22 at 1 PM.
Within hours in the late evening the sudden and most unexpected move of resignation came, which surprised most of the leaders including from the BJP, perhaps excepting the political leadership of the ruling establishment in the help of affair. What upset Dhankhar so much prompting him to resign? It remains the matter of speculation. Heath was not immediate concern, but has been a long-term concern for him since March 2025, when he was hospitalized for certain heart problem and was discharged after a few days with advice for rest.
Opposition has linked Dhankhar’s resignation to his being humiliated by the BJP leaders, on at least two occasions in the day. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said that at 4:30 PM BAC awaited Nadda and Rijiju, who never came. Dhankhar was not personally informed that the two senior Ministers were not attending. He said that something very serious happened yesterday between 1 PM and 4:30 PM to account for the deliberate absence of the ministers. Jairam Ramesh also recalled how Dhankhar fearlessly referred to “ahankara” in public life.
It has been noted by many and highlighted by Congress that JP Nadda had said during the opposition’s protest in the Rajya Sabha, “Nothing will go on record, only what I say will go on record”. There is a speculation that this might have hurt Dhankhar and he was presiding over the Rajya Sabha at that time.
JP Nadda has defended himself and said, “As for what I said in the Rajya Sabha, that whatever I say will go on record, it was directed at the interrupting Opposition MPs, not at the Chair”. On his and Rijiju’s absence, he said, “Kiren Rijiju and I did not attend the meeting called by the Vice President at 4:30 PM because we were occupied with other important parliamentary work, and prior intimation was given to the office of the Honourable Vice President.”
There is another speculation which is related to the opposition’s impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma. There are reports suggesting that there the government was not happy with the way Dhankhar was handling the impeachment motion. Another speculation is about disagreement on the issue of justice S K Yadav’s impeachment whose pro-Hindutva statement made in a VHP event had created great controversy in the past.
The political context, timing, and the way Dhankhar’s resignation has come, are suggestive of some serious differences between the Vice President and the Union government on various issues, and the absolute political control of PM Narendra Modi. Criticising or differing with him will have to be paid by a “heavy price” though officially stated reasons may by different. (IPA Service)