Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the resignation by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has surprised every one and his health cited as the reason for the move is unbelievable.
“This happening that surprised the country is the first of its kind since Independence. In his resignation letter, the vice president cited health grounds as the reason, however, nobody, not even the common man, believes it is true,” he said while talking to the media on Tuesday.
Gehlot reiterated his gut feeling that he shared with the media about 10 -15 days ago about the pressure under which the vice president (chairman of the Rajya Sabha) and the Lok Sabha speaker were working. “Such surprise resignations are made by those who work under pressure, This is what I believe,” he added.
The timing is also strange, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was preparing to embark on his foreign tour, the vice president suddenly tendered his resignation, the senior Congress leader said, adding “obviously this would attract the attention of the entire world to the new development”.
Referring to Dhankhar’s Rajasthan connection, Gehlot said “The resignation has shocked Rajasthani people, particularly the farmers, as Dhankhar has always raised voice for the cause of the farming community, in Parliament and outside. About 10 days ago, he had expressed his anguish with the agriculture minister for protracted issues of farmers.
The three-time ex-CM said, “About 10-15 days back I had shared my “gut feeling” that both the chairman of the Rajya Sabha(the VP) as well as the speaker of the Lok Sabha were working under pressure.”
Although Dhankhar himself had contradicted it, albeit not convincingly, I believe such surprise resignations are made by those who work under pressure,” Gehlot added.
On the opening day of the monsoon session on Monday, Parliament functioned as usual with the VP, in his capacity as chairman of the Rajya Sabha, participating in the usual way. But late in the evening, in a sudden development his resignation surfaced, leaving everyone stunned.
“Only time will tell what was behind the sudden development. It would be known later only whether they (the BJP/RSS) have some larger plans of effecting some major political course,” Gehlot quipped.
Recalling his 50-year-long personal and family relations with Dhankhar, Gehlot concluded, “The vice president’s resignation is sad. I feel the prime minister should have persuaded him to withdraw.”