Jaipur, July 23: Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday reiterated questions over Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation.
He suggested that constitutional institutions are functioning under pressure, posing a threat to democracy.
Speaking to reporters at the Rajasthan Congress headquarters on the birth anniversary of former state party chief Parasram Maderna, Gehlot said, “I do not believe that Dhankhar’s bad health was the reason for his resignation. His health was absolutely fine. Just 15 days ago, he had said in Delhi that he will remain Vice-President till 2027, unless some divine force intervenes.”
Dhankhar’s tenure was originally set to be completed in August 2027.
“The same person has resigned suddenly. He worked the whole day on Monday and resigned in the evening. This is a constitutional post. There is a certain dignity attached to it. What forced this resignation? This will be known only to Dhankhar ji himself and his conscience,” Gehlot said.
Recalling his earlier remarks that the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairperson were working “under pressure”, Gehlot said that Dhankhar’s resignation corroborates his concerns.
“I had said this in Jodhpur earlier. Dhankhar sahab responded in Jaipur saying that he does not work under pressure. But now that he has resigned, there must be a link somewhere,” he added.
The veteran Congress leader also alleged that constitutional norms are being steadily eroded under the BJP-led NDA government. “They are talking about turning India into a Hindu Rashtra. Where is democracy headed in this country? No one knows. There is a sustained attack on socialism and secularism — the soul of the Constitution,” he said.
Referring to RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s recent remarks, Gehlot said, “Hosabale sahab asked to remove ‘socialism’ and ‘secularism’ from the Constitution. But these were the core values even in Ambedkar’s original draft. The Supreme Court has also said that secularism is part of the country’s basic structure.”
Gehlot also alleged that enforcement agencies were misused and there were irregularities in electoral processes. “In Bihar, there is open misuse of power. Names are being deleted from the voters’ list. How can democracy survive if the Election Commission works under pressure?” he asked.
He urged citizens to recognise their role in defending the democratic values.
“The responsibility of protecting the democracy and the Constitution is not solely on the political parties, people must also come forward. If the truth is with the Opposition, support the Opposition. If the truth is with the government, support the government. Otherwise, the BJP and the RSS will continue ‘Dadagiri’ (bullying) and the country will suffer,” he said. (PTI)
