Never claimed I was ill while resigning, says former V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar

Former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said he had never claimed that he was ill while resigning from his post. “I only said I was giving priority to my health, which everyone should do,” he said at Sadulpur in Rajasthan’s Churu district on Thursday (February 26, 2026).

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Mr. Dhankhar made the remarks at a small gathering at the residence of Congress MP Rahul Kaswan. He had visited the town to enquire about the health of Mr. Kaswan’s father and former Churu MP Ram Singh Kaswan.

“It is said that the first happiness is a healthy body. I have never neglected my health. When I said I was resigning, I never said I was ill. I said I was giving priority to my health,” Mr. Dhankhar said. He had tendered his resignation in a surprise move on July 21, 2025, in a letter to the President, saying he wanted to abide by medical advice.

Personal visit to Congress MP

Mr. Dhankhar said his visit to Sadulpur was personal and motivated by concern for Mr. Ram Singh Kaswan’s health. “Whenever I was unwell, Mr. Kaswan has been among the first to check on me… I am deeply touched by the respect and affection shown to me,” he said.

The former Vice-President was hosted by the Kaswan family and by Krishna Poonia, an Olympian and former Congress MLA from Sadulpur.

Speculation about resignation

Mr. Dhankhar had resigned while a Parliamentary session was still in progress, fuelling speculation about his sudden departure well before his term was scheduled to end in August 2027. Opposition parties had hinted at deeper issues, involving tensions with the government.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had also questioned Mr. Dhankhar’s silence over his surprise resignation, suggesting that there was more to the resignation than what was known publicly.