<p>Barely two days after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation, reports have emerged on his defiance to the Modi government while he was actively engaged with a senior Congress leader to discuss a motion for the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, backed by the Opposition. Concerned about Dhankhar’s move to back the Opposition motion, the government reportedly tried on three separate occasions to convince him to hold off on accepting the Opposition’s proposal independently.</p> <p>According to India Today TV, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, and Leader of the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda personally appealed to Dhankhar to wait. They insisted that efforts were already underway to build consensus for a unified impeachment motion.</p> <p>Despite their interventions, Dhankhar proceeded to confirm receipt of signatures from Opposition MPs in the Upper House—an act seen as a direct defiance of the Centre’s wishes.</p> <p>Ahead of the Monsoon Session, Minister Rijiju had informed the Vice President that the Centre planned to initiate an impeachment motion in the Lok Sabha against Justice Varma and would soon mirror the move in the Rajya Sabha. The government had already secured signatures from Lower House MPs, including some from the Opposition.</p> <p>According to India Today's report, sources revealed that a day before the parliamentary session commenced, Rijiju reportedly repeated this message to Dhankhar. However, by then, the Vice President had already met with several Opposition leaders, including one senior Congress leader, where a separate impeachment proposal was discussed.</p> <h3><strong>Dhankhar Remained Defiant, Assured Opposition On Impeachment Motion Against Justice Shekhar Yadav</strong></h3> <p>On the morning of his resignation, Dhankhar was reportedly ready to accept the Opposition’s proposal and announce it in the House. India Today sources claimed that three attempts were made that day by the government to involve him in a consensus-backed approach—first with Nadda and Rijiju, then Rijiju and Meghwal, and finally, Meghwal alone.</p> <p>They argued that signatures from ruling party MPs were essential since the initiative was originally meant to be bipartisan. However, Dhankhar reportedly gave no assurances and indicated that he would proceed to read out the names of Opposition signatories in Parliament.</p> <p>As per the report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government made multiple requests, but Dhankhar remained unyielding, deepening the growing disconnect between him and the Centre.</p> <p>Matters escalated when Dhankhar once again met the senior Congress leader on Monday afternoon. According to India Today TV, he also assured the Opposition separately that he would take up the impeachment motion against Justice Shekhar Yadav.</p> <p>For the uninitiated, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, is accused of delivering a hate speech targeting Muslims at a gathering organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a right-wing Hindu organisation, on 8 December 2024.</p> <h3><strong>The JD Vance Snub: Were Tensions Simmering Long Before Resignation?</strong></h3> <p>This standoff, however, was not the first sign of discord. Tensions had previously surfaced on several occasions, the report said. Ahead of the visit of US Vice President JD Vance, Dhankhar had remarked, “I too am a Vice President and his counterpart, so I will hold the main and high-level meeting with him.”</p> <p>Following this, a senior Cabinet Minister reportedly clarified that Vance was carrying a message from the US President for Prime Minister Modi, and therefore protocol demanded a different level of engagement.</p> <p>Additionally, Dhankhar was said to have made requests for his photo to be displayed in ministerial offices alongside those of the Prime Minister and the President. He also allegedly pushed for an upgrade of his entire vehicle fleet to Mercedes-Benz cars. These signs pointed to deepening cracks.</p> <h3><strong>Dhankhar Resigned Before Govt Could React, Hoped To Be Cajoled: Report</strong></h3> <p>Before the government could take any countermeasures, Dhankhar made an unannounced visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan. After a 25-minute wait, he submitted his resignation to the President. It is believed he hoped until the following morning that the government would reach out or reconsider accepting his resignation.</p> <p>No such outreach occurred. The report said the government had already resolved that Dhankhar’s departure was necessary after he accepted the Opposition’s motion in the House without its concurrence.</p> <h3><strong>PM Modi Expressed 'Deep Disappointment' Over Dhankar's Conduct: Report</strong></h3> <p>In response to Dhankhar’s actions, Prime Minister Modi reportedly held a high-level meeting with senior aides, including the Home Minister. According to the report, the Prime Minister expressed “deep disappointment” over the Vice President’s conduct, especially considering that he had been the NDA’s nominee for the post in 2022.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the government has dispelled speculation after reports claimed that the official residence of the former vice president of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar has been sealed and he has been asked to vacate immediately.</p>
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