When J. Dhankhar crossed the “Lakshman Rekha” line, farmers protested the Justice Varma case.

New Delhi: On Monday, J. Dhankhar announced his resignation as vice president, ending a three-year term marred by scandals and instances in which he stepped over the fabled “laxman rekha.”

The resignation came as a surprise since the government was upset that the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha had accepted a motion supported by the opposition while the ruling BJP had tabled a similar motion in the Lok Sabha to remove Justice Yashwant Varma from office.

It was unexpected that Mr. Dhankhar, who had previously served as the Governor of Bengal and as the Veep, accepted the move. He must have been aware of the Lok Sabha notice. It has been deemed strange because he did this without telling the BJP.

In any case, the outcome of secret discussions among senior government officials was a succinct “I resign” letter to President Droupadi Murmu, which was first shared on X at 9:25 p.m.

Government sources told NDTV there were multiple instances of Mr Dhankhar crossing the red line.

Raghav Chadha and J. Dhankhar

Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party, who had been suspended since August 11 for violating House rules, was found guilty in December 2023 of providing false information to the media by the Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee. But Mr. Dhankhar lifted his suspension, which infuriated the government.

Prior to the motion’s passage, Mr. Dhankhar informed the House that the AAP leader had been found guilty on both counts, even though the motion said that Mr. Chadha’s 114-day suspension was “sufficient punishment.”

Mr. Dhankhar had filed the complaint against Mr. Chadha, alleging that he had named four MPs without permission and suggested a Select Committee to examine the controversial Delhi services bill.

And Raghav Chadha, Again

The problem with Mr. Chadha’s designated house in central Delhi as a lawmaker was also brought to NDTV’s attention by sources. The bungalow that the AAP leader received was a step up from his position as a new Member of Parliament.

However, Mr. Chadha refused to leave after the allotment was canceled, so he filed a lawsuit and won a stay from the Delhi High Court. The AAP leader had already been ordered to vacate the home by a trial court.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat was prevented from evicting the AAP leader by appealing the trial court’s ruling, which said that he did not have a firm right to be in the residence.

The court is still considering the case.

And The Opposition

Mr. Dhankhar regularly fought with the opposition throughout his tenure as the Veep; he was accused of being biased in favor of the ruling BJP by refusing them a chance to speak in Parliament.

Actually, the no-confidence bid from the previous year was sparked by such charges.

According to reports, the government has since expressed alarm over a change in his operations that gives opposition leaders more clout. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was permitted to criticize the BJP on Monday because to Operation Sindoor, according to NDTV.

According to sources, Mr. Dhankhar’s decision to permit the attack to go forward even though the government had indicated that it would be open to a formal debate was not appreciated.

Additionally, according to sources, Mr. Dhankhar’s statement that he would discuss the matter with the leaders of other parties, including the BJP, infuriated the government. Not a good fit for the government, it led BJP chief JP Nadda to openly contradict the vice president.

And Farmers

Additionally, according to sources, Mr. Dhankhar’s confrontation with the government over farmers’ continuous demands for a minimum support price, which began in August 2020, was not well received. Speaking at a public gathering in December, Mr. Dhankhar asked Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan pointed questions.

“Could you please tell me what the farmer was promised? Why wasn’t the promise kept? There was a movement last year, and this year is no exception. The clock is ticking away.

Having a farming background, Mr. Dhankhar also pushed the government to consider inflation when providing financial aid, just as it does for Members of Parliament, and to implement a direct cash subsidy for fertilizers.

And The Supreme Court

Mr. J. Dhankhar criticized the judiciary earlier this month for the Justice Yashwant Varma controversy.

At his Shakespearean best, he cautioned the judiciary to “beware the Ides of March” and demanded that a criminal probe be started into the recovery of the money.