Opposition leaders have flagged this absence as significant.”The Vice President was visibly upset,” said a senior Opposition figure, who also cited a “controversial remark by Nadda, who is the leader of the house, during a heated debate in the House.”Only what I say will go on record,” Nadda reportedly said during Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s address, comments that some felt disrespected the Chair.Nadda, however, dismissed the speculation.“Kiren Rijiju and I could not attend the 4:30 p.m. meeting called by the Honourable Vice President because we were occupied with another important parliamentary engagement,” he said.“Also, my remark in the Rajya Sabha was directed at interrupting Opposition MPs — not the Chair,” Nadda added.Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge declined to speculate on the reasons behind Dhankhar’s resignation. “Only he knows the reason. We have nothing to say on this. Either the government knows, or he knows,” the Congress President told reporters.Adding to the intrigue, just ten days ago, Dhankhar had publicly stated that he would retire in August 2027 “subject to divine intervention.”He also had said that he, “son of a farmer” “never worked under pressure” nor did he make anyone work under pressure in Rajasthan. (“Meim kisan putra hum, kabhi davab meim kaam nahi karta.”)Some commentators point to Dhankhar’s outspoken criticism of the judiciary as a possible source of internal discomfort. Since taking office in 2022, he has repeatedly voiced concerns over what he termed “judicial overreach” and strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act — remarks that were, at the time, seen as echoing the government’s position.Dhankhar’s perceived keenness in yielding to the Opposition demand to remove Justice Shekhar Yadav seemed to have upset sections in the government. His firm stance on such matters and a perceived “my way or the highway” approach, insiders say, may have created unease within the ruling alliance.Still, not all are convinced that political friction is the sole explanation.“In politics, not everything is straight,” Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat commented, hinting at the possibility of multiple layers to the development.As it stands, the official reason remains health-related.Yet the timing and the events surrounding the resignation continue to be closely examined, with many in Parliament and beyond asking: Was it just ill health? Or something more?
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