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Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation, citing health concerns, has triggered a political storm, with opposition leaders questioning the timing and circumstances. While the Ministry of Home Affairs has released an official notification confirming his resignation, the developments inside and outside Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session have raised many eyebrows.

Despite participating in the initial proceedings of the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar submitted his resignation later in the evening, leaving many wondering what transpired between morning and night.

Participated in Rajya Sabha Session, Resigned by Evening

As per the day’s schedule, both Houses of Parliament commenced proceedings at 11 am. Dhankhar, in his role as Chairman, welcomed new members to the Rajya Sabha and expressed condolences for the demise of former MPs. The House then proceeded with the Question Hour.

During this period, opposition MPs raised slogans over issues such as ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the voter list verification process in Bihar. Despite the uproar, Question Hour concluded, following which Dhankhar left his seat.

Subsequently, it was announced that the Rajya Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) would meet at 1 pm to chalk out the agenda for the week, including topics of discussion and the government’s legislative priorities.

At the 1 pm BAC meeting, Union ministers JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju represented the government. Senior leaders from various parties also attended. The opposition insisted that any discussion on Operation Sindoor must be held in the presence of the Prime Minister, who they said must clarify the matter. They also demanded an explanation regarding US President Donald Trump’s claim of preventing a war between India and Pakistan.

As no consensus could be reached, Chairman Dhankhar scheduled another BAC meeting for 4:30 pm.

Justice Varma Impeachment Motion In RS Led To VP Dhankhar's Resignation?

Meanwhile, a significant development took place. The government submitted a motion to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, with signatures from MPs across party lines, including opposition members. Shortly thereafter, the opposition submitted a separate impeachment motion with 63 MPs’ signatures to the Rajya Sabha.

Sources confirmed that top ministers including JP Nadda, Amit Shah, and Kiren Rijiju held a meeting with the Prime Minister during this time.

At around 4 pm, Dhankhar returned to the Rajya Sabha chair and announced that he had received the impeachment notice against Justice Varma and would deliver his decision on the matter the following day.

High-Level BJP Huddle and Signatures Collected

Following this, Dhankhar left for the 4:30 pm BAC meeting. This time, BJP’s JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju were absent, and the party was instead represented by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan. According to sources, Dhankhar questioned their absence. Murugan reportedly replied that both leaders were tied up with other parliamentary duties. Dhankhar then postponed the BAC meeting to Tuesday.

While the BAC discussions were underway, another high-level meeting began in Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s chamber. Attended by senior ministers including Nadda, Shah, Rijiju, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the meeting reportedly involved NDA MPs being summoned individually to sign a document.

This activity created considerable buzz in the corridors of Parliament. The meeting lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours, with BJP allies also participating in the signing process.

Later, Home Minister Amit Shah met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Roughly two hours after this, Vice President Dhankhar announced his resignation via social media, attributing it to “poor health and medical reasons.”

Opposition Smells Political Pressure Behind Dhankhar's Exit

Opposition MPs, however, remain unconvinced. Pointing to the day’s series of meetings, signature drives, and political manoeuvring, they allege Dhankhar did not step down voluntarily but was compelled to resign.

The timing—participation in the day’s proceedings followed by an evening resignation—has only added fuel to their suspicions.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Congress MP Manickam Tagore speculated about an impeachment motion, saying, “We heard inside the corridors of Parliament that the BJP MPs were signing an impeachment motion yesterday, even ministers were signing it. Whose impeachment were they doing? It was on white paper. The resignation followed in the night. Now, after about 12 hours, the Prime Minister has come out with a statement. Let's wait for Mr Dhankhar, for 2-3 weeks, to come out; he will tell the truth after some time what has happened to him.”

Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, described the Prime Minister’s silence on the matter as suspicious. “PM's non-post on X regarding Shri Jagdeep 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,” Ramesh said in a post on X. “The kisanputra is being denied even a dignified farewell,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier posted on X, stating, “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.”