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Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns: What is Article 67(a) the Vice President mentioned in resignation letter to President?
Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Monday, tendered his resignation from his post of Vice President, to President Droupadi Murmu, citing health concerns. In his resignation letter, Dhankhar invoked Article 67 (a) of the Constitution.
'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,' reads Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation letter.
Article 67(a) of the Indian constitution allows the Vice President to resign voluntarily before the end of their five-year term by submitting a written resignation to the President.
The article in question states that 'a Vice-President may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office.'
Jagdeep Dhankhar had assumed the role of the Vice President in August 2022. As per the official term of five years, his tenure would have come to end in 2027.
Dhankhar, however, by invoking Article 67(a), tendered his resignation two years before the end of tenure.
Jagdeep Dhankhar, in his resignation letter, expressed gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Union Cabinet of Ministers. He also said he felt proud to have been a part of India's development as an economic power and as a global entity.
Dhankhar's resignation comes hours after he presided over the first sitting of Rajya Sabha as chairperson during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on July 21.
Rajya Saba MP Kapil Sibal said he was 'saddened' by Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation, and recounted his experience of working with the Vice President.
Sibal said he knew Jagdeep Dhankhar for 30-40 years, and described his personal rapport with the VP as warm and respectful, marked by legal camaraderie and shared moments at family events. Despite differing political views, Sibal said they maintained mutual respect, and Dhankhar often accommodated him generously in parliamentary proceedings. He wished Dhankhar good health and a long life.
'We may have had differences, in respect to our political views, or on opinions, but at a personal level, we had a very strong bond. Whenever I needed time to speak in the House, I met him personally in his chamber, and he never refused me, and gave me a little more time than is otherwise available to independent members of Parliament,' said Kapil Sibal.
