Dhankhar totally silent for 100 days, farewell function has not happened: Congress
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday said former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has been “totally silent” for 100 days since his resignation and pointed out that the Opposition has been asserting that he deserves at least a farewell function like all his predecessors had.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it has been exactly 100 days since an unprecedented event in Indian political history took place.
"Suddenly and shockingly, in the late hours of the night on July 21st, the Vice President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankar resigned. That he was forced to do so - even though he sang the praises of the PM day in and day out - was obvious," Ramesh said on X.
For 100 days, the former vice president who used to be in headlines daily has been totally "silent - unseen and unheard", the Congress leader said.
Ramesh further said the former vice president, as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, was no great friend of the Opposition.
"He used to pull up the Opposition constantly and unfairly. Yet, in keeping with democratic traditions, the Opposition has been saying that he deserves at least a farewell function like all his predecessors had. That has not happened," Ramesh said.
After Dhankhar's resignation, the Congress had claimed the reasons behind his resignation as vice president are "far deeper" than health issues cited by him. It had said his resignation speaks highly of him but poorly of those who got him elected to the post.
The opposition party had also asked the government to clarify the vice president's resignation.
In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on July 21, citing medical reasons. He sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027.
He was also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
In his eventful tenure as Rajya Sabha chairman, Dhankhar had several run-ins with the opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him.
The motion, the first ever in independent India to remove a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
It has been exactly 100 days since an unprecedented event in Indian political history took place. Suddenly and shockingly, in the late hours of the night on July 21st, the Vice President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankar resigned. That he was forced to do so - even though he sang the…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 29, 2025
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Siddaramaiah in 'helpless situation', under some 'compulsion', claims Cong MLA Rajanna
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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.
The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.
Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.
"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."
When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."
"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.
The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.
Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"
Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."
"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.
Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.
"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.
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