It’s rare for a Vice President (VP) of India to resign abruptly. On Monday, VP Jagdeep Dhankhar chaired the opening day of the Rajya Sabha’s monsoon session, spoke with Members of Parliament in the evening, and his office released his schedule for Wednesday. Then, at 9.25 pm, the official handle of the VP on X.com released his resignation letter. The letter indicated that Dhankhar was quitting office because of poor health. The first reaction from the Centre came around noon on Tuesday, with the PM wishing him well; around the same time, the President accepted the resignation. Dhankhar, 74, had two years left in office; on July 10, he declared that “I will retire at the right time. August 2027, subject to divine intervention.” Two weeks later, he was gone. The VP also demitted office without a formal ceremony in the Rajya Sabha, which he presided over for three years. This is why the Opposition is sceptical about Dhankhar’s reasons for quitting. The government must clear the air so that unsubstantiated theories do not cloud the VP’s resignation.

The resignation is intriguing also because of the history of the office and how Dhankhar responded to its mandate. India has had 13 other VPs since 1950, but none left office in this manner. Six of them became Presidents, one died in harness, and others retired from active public life after their tenure ended. As Rajya Sabha chair, Dhankhar was vocal and combative. His rulings often led to ugly stand-offs, with the Opposition accusing him of political prejudice. He was the first VP against whom the Opposition, which is now speaking in his favour, moved an impeachment motion. He accused the Opposition of weaponising House rules to disrupt the functioning of the Rajya Sabha and denigrate the office of VP. Similarly, he also challenged the Supreme Court on numerous occasions. He spoke out against the collegium system and the basic structure doctrine that drew red lines on the legislature’s scope to amend the Constitution. In both cases, Dhankhar, a lawyer by training, saw judicial overreach and an attempt to tilt the balance of powers among institutions in favour of the judiciary. His proactive action in the impeachment process against Justice Yashwant Varma, who is battling allegations of corruption, too, including backing the Opposition’s motion, has also become a ground for speculation.

Did Dhankhar cross any red lines? If so, when, why, and how? The country deserves to know the full story. The office of the VP is a constitutional post; its sanctity should be protected from speculation and rumours. How the government handles the post-resignation situation will be keenly watched.