Jagdeep Dhankhar's April Drama: An Appointment That Led To V-P's Resignation
Did Jagdeep Dhankhar, who suddenly resigned as the Vice-President earlier this week, go beyond his mandate and powers to appoint an officer as the Secretary and In-charge of Sansad TV in April?
In what top sources in the government called 'a coup-like situation", Dhankhar allegedly attempted an appointment, which only the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) can carry out.
' Dhankhar wanted a junior officer to take charge as the Secretary and Incharge of Sansad TV after then Secretary Rajit Puhnani was made the Skill Development Secretary in April. These are ACC posts and the Rajya Sabha can't appoint officers. The Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, VP and President can't make appointments. The officers have to be picked from the offer list of the central government. Allotment of officers is the job of the ACC and those appointments are only considered valid Dhankhar was to issue orders," alleged sources.
'The PM was abroad and top officials intervened to stop that. Even the officer was told not to join. He was told that appointment would be illegal and would create a legal crisis. Multiple calls were made between cadre controlling authorities, the PMO and Rajya Sabha Secretariat to avoid it. The officer was even suggested to proceed on leave if pressure comes to join and the Rajya Sabha Secretariat issues orders," alleged sources.
Sources alleged he created lot of tension during shifting of his home and the government changed then Urban Development Secretary on his complaint.
The 74-year-old resigned from his post citing health reasons in a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, also shared by the Vice-President's official X account late on Monday. Dhankhar was elected as the 14th vice-president in August 2022 and his term had two more years.
What is the ACC?
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) is a key decision-making body in the Government of India responsible for approving appointments to top-level posts in the civil services, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and statutory bodies. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who serves as the Chairperson, and the Union Home Minister. The ACC approves the appointments of secretaries, additional secretaries, joint secretaries, and other senior bureaucrats in ministries and departments, as well as the heads of various regulatory bodies such as the Election Commission, UPSC, and CBI (in consultation with other committees). It also clears appointments of chairpersons and managing directors of Central Public Sector Enterprises. The committee functions under the Transaction of Business Rules, 1961, framed under Article 77(3) of the Constitution, and its decisions play a vital role in shaping the leadership of India's administrative and institutional framework.
With Agency Inputs
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Gurjar body plans next step as 60-day deadline nears
Jaipur: Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti is deliberating on its next steps as the pact with the state govt over its demand for Constitutional protection for the MBC quota approaches its 60-day deadline this week. The organisation Sunday said the govt had not met its commitments. The samiti and the state govt reached a seven-point agreement on June 8 during the Gurjar Mahapanchayat in Peelupura, Bharatpur. Although a ministerial committee was formed and held two meetings to address the community's demands, samiti members did not participate in those discussions. Furthermore, the cabinet is yet to approve inclusion of the 5% MBC quota in the Constitution's Ninth Schedule. The state administration had committed to approaching the Union govt for this. The samiti said the state govt had also made no progress regarding appointment on compassionate grounds to a relative of late Roop Narayan Gurjar, who lost his life during the Gurjar agitation. tnn Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Voter Rolls Glue Opposition Together, Raise Hopes In Vice-President Polls
New Delhi: The Opposition is hoping for better luck in the coming vice-presidential election after the Election Commission's voter roll revision acted as a unifying factor for parties like Trinamool Congress - which is expecting the exercise to be repeated in their states ahead of next year's election. Congress's Rahul Gandhi has invited the leaders of India Alliance for a dinner meeting on August 7 - a day before its protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission. The agenda of the meeting includes the Vice Presidential election and the alliance is expected to decide on a candidate. A senior leader of bloc told NDTV that the Opposition is looking for a candidate who will make the election interesting. The leaders feel the mathematics of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is such that if a strong candidate is fielded for the post, the the contest will not be one-sided like last time, sources said. Last time, the Trinamool Congress - which had 35 MPs --had abstained from voting, contending that they were not consulted during the selection of Margaret Alva. This time, the Trinamool Congress has maintained unity with the opposition, including the Congress on the issue of SIR, anticipating that the exercise will be carried out in Bengal ahead of next year's assembly election. The leaders feel the open question now is if the Opposition forwards a candidate from Bihar or Andhra Pradesh, what will NDA allies Nitish Kumar and Chandra Babu Naidu do, sources said. Since the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, the NDA has also been looking for a suitable candidate for the post. It is believed that this time BJP will pick one of its key leaders who can run the Rajya Sabha properly. The date of the Vice Presidential election has already been announced. The voting will be held on September 9, in which 543 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 233 from the Rajya Sabha will participate. The 12 nominated MPs of Rajya Sabha will also take part in the election. In 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar had got 528 votes - way ahead of Opposition candidate Margaret Alva, who polled 182. Mr Dhankhar had the support of several non-NDA parties - Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (which is now part of NDA), and the Akali Dal. Fifty-five MPs did not cast their vote. Asked who would be the next Vice President, Congress's Shashi Tharoor said he had "no idea". "All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate. It's the two houses of Parliament. Unlike the Presidential election, where the state assemblies also vote. For the Vice President, it's only the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we already know the majority. I think it's fairly clear that the next vice president will be the nominee of the ruling party," he said.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Rape accused engineer moves Supreme Court over Rajasthan HC's ‘erroneous' travel order
A software engineer, accused of raping a woman on a false pretext of marriage, has moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Rajasthan High Court which directed his wife to be present in the country if he wished to travel abroad for a job. The plea, filed by advocate Ashwani Dubey, called the HC order erroneous and a violation of Article 21.(HT_PRINT) The petitioner in his plea said the high court, in a clear violation of the "procedural impropriety" and without hearing or impleading his wife, who is currently employed in the US, and ignoring that she is not a part of the criminal case, directed her to remain in India. The petition, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, submitted that the said impugned direction passed by the high court was "erroneous" and violative of the fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution. The matter is listed for hearing on August 8. The counsel argued that the direction suffered from procedural irregularity and legal perversity, having been passed without affording a hearing to the person affected. Also Read: SC sets aside jail term of man found juvenile in rape case, upholds conviction Petitioner is the Indian passport holder "The petitioner is the Indian passport holder and Indian citizen and he is not the citizen of any other country and he will be under the control of Consulate General at USA and there are no chances of his absconding as he is willing to go abroad to earn his livelihood on work visa and therefore, there is no question of his absconding. "He will be going for a specific period and he undertakes a specific oath before this Court that he shall make himself available for trial as and when directed, therefore, there is no question of delay in trial and also there is no question of his absconding," the plea said. The engineer was booked for rape at the Christianganj Police Station of Ajmer. Accused and the woman met online According to the petition, the accused and the woman met on an online matrimonial site and had a close acquaintance for a period of approximately four years. It was alleged that the man entered into an intimate relationship with the complainant, promising her that he would marry her. Under apprehension of arrest, the engineer moved an anticipatory bail application, which was allowed. He then moved an application before the trial court to allow him to go abroad to the USA for employment. The trial court dismissed the application, which was assailed before the high court, which allowed him to go abroad but imposed a condition that his wife must remain in India.
