Dhankhar a patriot; wanted govt, opposition to work together: Sibal

New Delhi, Jul 21: Soon after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as the vice president, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday hailed him as a patriot and said since he had cited health reasons for his decision, it should be accepted and one should move forward.
In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons.
He has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect.
Reacting to the development, Sibal said Dhankhar has stated clearly that he has resigned on health grounds and there should not be further discussions on this.
“We have to accept that and move forward. Personally, I did not feel nice and I had very good ties with him. There was no ill feeling. He used to speak his mind and not keep things in his heart. Though our ideologies did not match, he never used to keep things in his heart. When I wanted to have more time to speak in the Rajya Sabha, he used to give me more time,” Sibal told reporters.
“These were his good points. He is a nationalist and patriot. He wanted the opposition and the government to work together to enhance India’s standing in the world,” Sibal, who is a senior advocate, said.
In his letter of resignation, Dhankhar said, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027.
He is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Dhankhar had recently undergone angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
In his eventful tenure as the Rajya Sabha chairman, Dhankhar had several run-ins with the opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him. The motion to remove him, the first time ever in independent India to remove a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh. (PTI)