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Vice President of India Resigns from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

By : Author Desk Updated : 2025-07-19 10:09:17

VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA RESIGNS

Why in News
  • On July 21, 2025, the Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, officially resigned from his post, citing health concerns.
  • His resignation was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in accordance with Article 67(a).
  • This resignation came on the 1st day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, just hours after Dhankhar made an impassioned appeal in the Rajya Sabha for restoring civility, mutual respect, and constructive political discourse in Parliament.
  • His resignation marks the 1st time in recent Indian political history that a Vice-President has voluntarily stepped down from office, sparking reflection on his controversial and assertive tenure as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
RESIGNATION: KEY DETAILS
  • In the letter, he mentioned that he was resigning “to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice.”
  • He stated that it had been a privilege to serve during what he described as a “transformative era” for India.
  • He reflected on the nation’s rapid economic progress and global rise and said he was stepping down with pride and full confidence in India’s future.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS INVOLVED
  • His resignation was made in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Indian Constitution, which states:
  • “The Vice-President may resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the President.”
  • With the resignation being effective immediately upon submission and acceptance, the office of the Vice-President of India and ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha stands vacant.
  • As per established procedure, the Election Commission of India must initiate a process to elect a new Vice-President within a stipulated timeframe, typically 6 months.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESIGNATION 1. Vacancy in Constitutional Office
  • With Dhankhar's resignation, the office of Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha stands vacant.
  • As per procedure:
    • The President may appoint a senior member of Rajya Sabha as interim Chairman.
    • A new Vice Presidential election must be held within 6 months, as per the rules laid down by the Election Commission and governed under the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
2. Impact on Parliamentary Functioning
  • The Vice President serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
  • His absence can lead to:
    • Temporary adjustments in Presiding Officers in the Upper House.
    • Possible implications for the ongoing Monsoon Session.
ADDRESS TO THE PARLIAMENT BEFORE RESIGNATION
  • Earlier on the same day of his resignation, Jagdeep Dhankhar made notable opening remarks in the Rajya Sabha, urging all political parties to engage in respectful and constructive parliamentary conduct.
  • He warned that “a thriving democracy cannot sustain constant acrimony,” and added that political confrontation should not be the essence of politics.
  • He emphasised that although political parties may pursue the same national goals through different methods, no Indian truly works against the interests of the nation.
  • Dhankhar further argued that internal discord weakens national unity, providing leverage to external enemies.
  • He called upon Members of Parliament to choose “dialogue and discussion” over “conflict and personal attacks,” and urged both ruling and opposition benches to participate in productive debates for Bharat’s progress.
REVIEW OF JAGDEEP DHANKAR’S TENURE Clashes with the Judiciary
  • Shortly after taking office in August 2022, Dhankhar criticised the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)
  • He called the judgment a “glaring instance” of judicial overreach and a “severe compromise” of parliamentary sovereignty.
  • This statement created a tense dynamic between the legislature and the judiciary throughout his tenure.
  • In April 2025, Dhankhar again criticised the judiciary, expressing concern over a Supreme Court ruling that directed the President of India to decide on bills pending with state Governors within three months.
  • He questioned whether such directives were constitutionally appropriate and asked, “Where are we heading?”
Frequent Confrontations with the Opposition Throughout his tenure as Rajya Sabha Chairman, Dhankhar’s relationship with the Opposition remained turbulent:
  • In August 2023, when the Opposition demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the Rajya Sabha regarding violence in Manipur, Dhankhar asserted that it was entirely the Prime Minister’s prerogative to attend, just like any other Member of Parliament.
  • During the Winter Session of 2023, a record 146 Members of Parliament were suspended, most of them from Opposition parties.
  • The suspensions were in response to protests demanding a statement from the Union Home Minister regarding a security breach in Parliament.
  • After these suspensions, Dhankhar wrote to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, criticising the disruptions and expressing disappointment at Kharge’s refusal to meet him for resolution.
  • In return, Kharge accused the government of weaponising suspensions to suppress dissent.
  • In June 2024, during a protest against exam paper leaks, Kharge entered the Well of the House.
  • Dhankhar condemned the action, calling it unprecedented and a “stain on Parliament.”
  • Kapil Sibal, another Rajya Sabha MP, publicly criticised Dhankhar for frequently interrupting speeches, which, he claimed, was inappropriate for a presiding officer.
CONTROVERSIAL PUBLIC REMARKS Jagdeep Dhankhar often made controversial public statements:
  • He described the addition of the words “Socialist” and “Secular” to the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency as “sacrilege” and referred to them as a “festering wound” on the spirit of the Constitution.
  • In September 2024, without naming him, Dhankhar referred to statements made by Rahul Gandhi as aligning with “enemies of the nation.”
  • In response to a comment by an MP regarding the RSS, Dhankhar described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a “global think tank of the highest order” with full constitutional rights to participate in national development.
ATTEMPTED IMPEACHMENT
  • In December 2024, for the first time in Indian history, a motion to remove the Vice-President was submitted in the Rajya Sabha.
  • Over 60 MPs from the INDIA bloc signed the notice.
  • However, Deputy Chairman Harivansh rejected it, stating that the motion failed to adhere to constitutional requirements, lacked a 14-day notice period, and was procedurally flawed.
HOW CAN A VP BE IMPEACHED?
  • The process for removing or impeaching the Vice-President of India is explained in Articles 67(b), 92, and 100 of the Indian Constitution.
1. Impeachment Process: a. The impeachment motion against the Vice-President can only be introduced in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House). The process is as follows:         i. Introducing the Resolution: A resolution to impeach the Vice-President must first be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.         ii. Majority Needed in Rajya Sabha: For the motion to pass, it needs a majority of at least 50% of the members present, plus one. iii. This means that the majority will be counted from those who are present and voting on the day of the vote, not the total members in the House.        iv. Motion Moves to Lok Sabha: If the motion passes in the Rajya Sabha, it then moves to the Lok Sabha (Lower House), where it needs to be approved by a simple majority for the Vice-President to be removed. NOTICE REQUIREMENT       a. Article 67(b) of the Constitution says that there must be a 14-day notice before the motion can be moved, informing everyone about the intention to impeach the Vice-President.       b. This notice is mandatory before the resolution can be introduced. OPPOSITION’S GOALS
  • A senior leader from the opposition said that even though they might not have enough votes to remove Dhankhar, the goal is to send a clear message to the BJP that they cannot run Parliament in this way.
  • The leader added, “We are fighting to save Parliamentary democracy.”
  • TMC’s Statement: Sagarika Ghose, Deputy Leader of TMC in Rajya Sabha, said, “This government is killing Parliament.”
  • She also claimed that the BJP was scared because they do not have answers to people's issues.
  • She added that the government is misusing important constitutional offices for its own benefit.
OPPOSITION’S NUMBERS IN RS
  1. The INDIA bloc has 103 members in the Rajya Sabha, plus the support of Independent MP Kapil Sibal. Even with this support, they do not have enough votes to remove Dhankhar. However, they still want to submit the notice as a statement of their concerns.
  2. The opposition was also upset after Dhankhar mentioned Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi in connection with the recovery of money from his seat.
  3. This, along with Dhankhar allowing BJP members to raise the issue of Congress ties to George Soros, angered the opposition and made them push forward with the impeachment idea.
PAST ATTEMPTS AT IMPEACHMENT
  • There is no record of any impeachment or no-confidence motion ever being moved against a Rajya Sabha Chairman.
  • However, in 2020, the opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, after he allowed the Farm Bills to be passed without proper discussion.
  • This led to strong protests, and the opposition accused him of violating parliamentary rules.
    • Article 90 of the Constitution talks about how a Deputy Chairman can be removed.
    • It allows for a resolution to be passed if the majority of members in the Rajya Sabha agree.
    • The 2020 resolution was backed by Congress, TMC, DMK, CPI, RJD, AAP, TRS, SP, IUML, and others.
    • However, the resolution was rejected and did not result in any change.
  • Historical Precedents: In the past, resolutions were moved against Speakers of the Lok Sabha but were never successful. For example:
    • In 1951, a resolution was moved against G V Mavalankar (the first Speaker of Lok Sabha).
    • Sardar Hukam Singh in 1966 and Balram Jakhar in 1987 also faced similar resolutions, but these were discussed and rejected by the House.
PREVIOUS TENURE AS GOVERNOR OF WEST BENGAL
  • Before becoming Vice-President, Jagdeep Dhankhar served as the Governor of West Bengal (2019–2022).
  • His tenure there was marked by regular clashes with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her administration.
  • He frequently criticised the state government on issues such as law and order, corruption, post-poll violence, and the appointment of Vice-Chancellors.
  • The relationship deteriorated to the extent that Mamata Banerjee blocked him on social media, and Speaker Biman Banerjee filed formal complaints against him.
PERSONAL & POLITICAL BACKGROUND
  • Jagdeep Dhankhar was born in 1951 in Kithana village, Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan.
  • Coming from an agrarian family, he studied at a government school and later attended Sainik School, Chittorgarh.
  • He earned a law degree from the University of Rajasthan and became a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India.
  • His political journey began in 1989 when he was elected to the Lok Sabha on a Janata Dal ticket.
  • He later joined the Congress and served as an MLA in the Rajasthan Assembly.
  • In 2003, he switched to the BJP, advising the party on legal issues before being appointed Governor of West Bengal in 2019 and then Vice-President in 2022.
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