The Crossbill News Desk
Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday (February 26) clarified that his resignation in July last year was not due to illness, asserting that he had stepped down to give due importance to his health.
Addressing a gathering in Rajasthan’s Churu district, Dhankhar said he had never claimed to be unwell when he demitted office.
“Kehte hain pehla sukh nirogi kaaya. Maine swasthya ke prati kabhi laparwahi nahi barti. Maine jab kaha ki main pad tyag raha hun, toh maine kabhi ye nahi kaha ke main beemar hun. Maine kaha main swashtya ko ahmiyat de raha hun, aur deni chahiye. (It is said that the first happiness is a healthy body. I have never neglected my health. When I said I was resigning, I never said I was ill. I said I was prioritising my health, as it should be),” Dhankhar said at the event, according to The Indian Express.
Dhankhar had announced his resignation in a surprise post on X on July 21, 2025, making public his letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
In the letter, he wrote: “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution. I extend my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency – the Hon’ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure.”
The resignation had triggered political speculation at the time. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had, in August last year, raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Dhankhar’s sudden departure.
“There is a big story about why he resigned. Some of you might know it, some of you might not. But there is a story behind it. And then there’s a story about why he is in hiding. Why is he, the Vice President of India, in a situation where he cannot say a word… and has to hide… suddenly, the person who used to burst forth in Rajya Sabha has gone… completely silent,” Gandhi had said.
Dhankhar, who took office as India’s 14th Vice President in August 2022 after defeating former Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva, had a tenure marked by frequent confrontations with Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha, which he chaired.
During his visit to Churu on Thursday, he was hosted by former Congress MP Ram Singh Kaswan and Olympian and former Congress MLA Krishna Poonia.
Reiterating his position, Dhankhar underscored that his decision last year was guided solely by a desire to give precedence to his well-being, seeking to put to rest lingering questions over the reasons behind his resignation.
Addressing a gathering in Rajasthan’s Churu district, Dhankhar said he had never claimed to be unwell when he demitted office.
“Kehte hain pehla sukh nirogi kaaya. Maine swasthya ke prati kabhi laparwahi nahi barti. Maine jab kaha ki main pad tyag raha hun, toh maine kabhi ye nahi kaha ke main beemar hun. Maine kaha main swashtya ko ahmiyat de raha hun, aur deni chahiye. (It is said that the first happiness is a healthy body. I have never neglected my health. When I said I was resigning, I never said I was ill. I said I was prioritising my health, as it should be),” Dhankhar said at the event, according to The Indian Express.
Dhankhar had announced his resignation in a surprise post on X on July 21, 2025, making public his letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
In the letter, he wrote: “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution. I extend my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency – the Hon’ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure.”
The resignation had triggered political speculation at the time. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had, in August last year, raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Dhankhar’s sudden departure.
“There is a big story about why he resigned. Some of you might know it, some of you might not. But there is a story behind it. And then there’s a story about why he is in hiding. Why is he, the Vice President of India, in a situation where he cannot say a word… and has to hide… suddenly, the person who used to burst forth in Rajya Sabha has gone… completely silent,” Gandhi had said.
Dhankhar, who took office as India’s 14th Vice President in August 2022 after defeating former Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva, had a tenure marked by frequent confrontations with Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha, which he chaired.
During his visit to Churu on Thursday, he was hosted by former Congress MP Ram Singh Kaswan and Olympian and former Congress MLA Krishna Poonia.
Reiterating his position, Dhankhar underscored that his decision last year was guided solely by a desire to give precedence to his well-being, seeking to put to rest lingering questions over the reasons behind his resignation.
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