Congress Slams Dhankhar’s 100 Day Silence, Says Farewell Function Still Pending
Party’s Jairam Ramesh recalls Dhankhar’s sudden resignation, says Opposition maintains he deserves a formal farewell like predecessors
New Delhi, Oct 29: The Congress on Wednesday criticised former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s continued silence since his resignation, pointing out that even after 100 days, no farewell function has been held for him a departure from tradition.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said it has been exactly 100 days since an “unprecedented event” in Indian political history occurred when Dhankhar suddenly resigned late at night on July 21.
“Suddenly and shockingly, in the late hours of the night on July 21, the Vice President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned. That he was forced to do so even though he sang praises of the PM day in and day out was obvious,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
Ramesh noted that the former vice president, once known for being in headlines daily, has remained “totally silent unseen and unheard” since stepping down.
He added that while Dhankhar was “no great friend of the Opposition” during his tenure as Rajya Sabha chairman, the Opposition has still maintained that he deserves a farewell in keeping with democratic tradition. “Yet, that has not happened,” Ramesh said.
Dhankhar, 74, resigned from his post citing medical reasons, submitting his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu. His resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, cutting short a tenure that was set to last until 2027.
During his time as Rajya Sabha chairman, Dhankhar frequently clashed with opposition leaders, leading to several confrontations inside the House. The Opposition even moved a motion to impeach him the first of its kind in independent India though it was later rejected by Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
After his resignation, Congress alleged that the reasons were “far deeper” than the medical grounds cited, stating that the move “speaks highly of him but poorly of those who got him elected.”
The party has also demanded that the government clarify the circumstances surrounding Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation.
