Dhankhar’s First Public Appearance Since Surprise Exit at Radhakrishnan’s Oath
Former Vice President attends successor C P Radhakrishnan’s swearing-in amid talk of rift with Centre.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th Sept: Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday appeared in public for the first time since his abrupt resignation last month, attending the swearing-in of his successor C P Radhakrishnan at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was accompanied by his wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, and seated alongside former Vice Presidents Hamid Ansari and M. Venkaiah Naidu, as well as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to 67-year-old Radhakrishnan in a brief ceremony. Dhankhar, whose term was to end in August 2027, resigned on July 21 citing medical reasons, though sources have hinted at tensions with the government over judicial impeachment motions and protocol disputes.
Insiders say Dhankhar’s refusal to back the Centre’s position on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, coupled with demands for presidential-level privileges and increasing outreach to Opposition leaders and legal circles, strained ties with the ruling establishment.
Observers note that Dhankhar, once a staunch defender of the government and a critic of the judiciary’s Basic Structure doctrine, appeared to shift stance after the Opposition’s 2024 no-confidence motion against him was defeated but left him politically isolated.
