‘Looks like Soviet style resignations’: What Opposition Congress leaders said about Indian vice president Jagdeep Dhankar's surprise exit

Several leaders of Opposition Congress have expressed scepticism about the surprise resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Indian vice president, with lawmaker Karti Chidambaram likening it to the Soviet Union era. Many of them asked the government to come clean on the matter. Here is what they said:

Soviet style resignation: What Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said on Dhankar exit

Speaking to reporters outside parliament on Tuesday (Jul 22), Karti Chidambaram said, "It took everyone by surprise, including me...This looks like one of those Soviet style resignations when, in those days, high-ranking officials were asked to go citing medical reasons...Hopefully, in the coming days we will have some transparency..."

Chidambaram said he did not believe the vice president was in such a precarious medical condition that he could not discharge his duties.

Dhankar resignation as shocking as it's inexplicable: Jairam Ramesh

His reaction was similar to many other Congress leaders, with Jairam Ramesh calling 74-year-old Dhankar's sudden resignation 'as shocking as it is inexplicable'.
While agreeing that Dhankar has to give topmost priority to his health, Ramesh said, 'Clearly, there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye."

Ramesh shared that just before Dhankar announced the resignation, he was with the vice president and did not expect anything untoward to happen.

While Ramesh expected that Indian PM Narendra Modi would ask Dhankar to change his mind, nothing of the sort happened. On Tuesday, Modi shared a cryptic post on X, wishing him well.

‘Government should clarify on Dhankar resignation’

Another Congress leader, Gaurav Gogoi, said: ‘It is for the Union government to clarify if they had prior intimation and have planned for a smooth transition.’

"The absence of senior ministers yesterday at a meeting chaired by the Hon’ble Vice President now carries even more significance," he added.

Sukhdeo Bhagat said that if the resignation was on health grounds, Dhankar could have done it even before the recent start of the monsoon session of parliament.
"Yesterday he suddenly resigned, it was unexpected… The Parliamentary Affairs Minister disappears. JP Nadda disappears. That’s why I said the script was written earlier, and that was seen yesterday.”

'Dhankar ‘resigned on his own, or has been forced to resign’?

Another Congress leader, Syed Naseer Hussain, noted Dhankar was involved in all the activities till Monday, and said, “Whether he has resigned on his own or has been forced to resign, this should come out in the public.”

On similar lines, Govind Singh Dotasra noted that the resignation 'raises questions' as Dhankar had conducted Rajya Sabha proceedings for the entire day on Monday, and had a programme in Jaipur on July 23.

Imran Pratapgarhi said a ‘stubborn person’ like Dhankar, who visited Parliament despite being sick and citing health reasons for resignation, ‘doesn’t seem normal.’