Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 22 : Calling Jagdeep Dhankhar a nationalist, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Tuesday said his resignation from Vice President post was likely prompted as "he must have seen that the farmers of the country are troubled."
Speaking to ANI, Rai said, ."...Jagdeep Dhankhar ji has served the nation by holding various posts like Governor and Vice President. He is a nationalist and he must have seen that the farmers of the country are troubled; that is why he resigned from the post of Vice President."
Congress leaders on the second day of the Monsoon session of the Parliament severely criticised the government over the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala slammed the BJP following the resignation of Dhankhar, stating that the party has a track record of "weakening both constitutional offices and processes".
He noted that Dhankhar's "sudden and mysterious" resignation has left many questions unanswered and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take parliament into confidence on the matter.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday evening resigned from his post "to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice." Dhankhar, who is also Chairman of Rajya Sabha, sent his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
"The sudden and mysterious manner in which the Vice President resigned leaves many questions unanswered. The BJP has a track record of weakening both constitutional offices and processes. The BJP also has a track record of insulting constitutional officeholders and undermining the constitutional framework... What is visible and what is the reason are entirely different. We demand that Prime Minister Modi come forward and take the people of India and Parliament into confidence," Randeep Surjewala told ANI.
In his post on X, Jairam Ramesh said there are far deeper reasons for Dhankhar's resignation and while he lauded post-2014 India, he also spoke fearlessly for the welfare of farmers and forcefully against what he called 'ahankar' in public life.
Jairam Ramesh alleged that Dhankar was not personally informed that Union Health Minister JP Nadda, who is Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were not attending the BAC meeting scheduled yesterday afternoon at 4.30 pm.
Sources said that Nadda and Rijiju had given information about their not being able to attend the BAC meeting. They said Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan was present in the meeting.
In his post, Jairam Ramesh said "something very serious happened yesterday between 1 pm and 4:30 pm."
"Yesterday, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar chaired the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha at 12:30 PM. It was attended by most members, including Leader of the House JP Nadda and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju. After some discussion, the BAC decided to meet again at 4:30 PM. At 4:30 PM, the BAC reassembled under the chairmanship of Shri Jagdeep Dhankar. It waited for Shri Nadda and Shri Rijiju to arrive. They never came," he said.
"Shri Jagdeep Dhankar was not personally informed that the two senior Ministers were not attending. Rightly he took umbrage and rescheduled the BAC for today at 1 PM. So something very serious happened yesterday between 1 PM and 4:30 PM to account for the deliberate absence of Shri Nadda and Shri Rijiju from the second BAC yesterday. Now in a truly unprecedented move, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar has resigned. He has given health reasons for doing so," he added.
Jairam Ramesh said Dhankhar was a stickler for norms and proprieties.
"Those should be respected. But it is also a fact that there are far deeper reasons for his resignation. While always lauding post-2014 India, he spoke fearlessly for the welfare of farmers, forcefully against what he called 'ahankar' in public life, and strongly on judicial accountability and restraint," he said.
"To the extent possible under the current G2 ruling regime, he tried to accommodate the Opposition. He was a stickler for norms, proprieties, and protocol, which he believed were being consistently disregarded in both his capacities. Shri Jagdeep Dhankar's resignation speaks highly of him. It also speaks poorly of those who had got him elected as Vice President in the first instance," he added.