Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday attended the swearing-in ceremony of his successor, C P Radhakrishnan, his first public appearance since his sudden exit last month.
Mr Dhankhar was spotted sitting at the function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar. Also seated in the same row were former Vice Presidents Hamid Ansari, Venkaiah Naidu and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to 67-year-old Radhakrishnan at the brief ceremony.
On July 21, Mr Dhankhar stepped down as Vice President, a little more than two years ahead of the end of his tenure. His term was to end on August 10, 2027. Officially, he cited medical reasons for his exit but sources hinted at a deeper unease, possibly even a breakdown of trust between him and the Centre that he once strongly defended.
The tipping point, the sources said, came when Mr Dhankhar refused to align with the government's stand on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma and his acceptance of an Opposition-backed motion on the judge's removal.
NDTV earlier reported that ministers met Mr Dhankhar multiple times just days before the Monsoon Session, urging him not to go ahead with the Opposition-backed motion against Mr Varma, informing him very clearly that Lok Sabha will initiate it and he must instead focus on putting the matter of the impeachment of Justice Shekhar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court to end.
Besides, sources said the former Vice President wanted privileges on par with the President - from the type of luxury car and aircraft he used to staff appointments - and insisted on having the final say. "He knew the workarounds, but he failed to realise that the autonomy of the office is tethered to the political power behind it," a source said.
Observers said Mr Dhankhar had initially done exactly what was expected of him - questioned the judiciary's Basic Structure doctrine, voiced views on sensitive issues like population control and religious conversion and appeared to act more as a political ally than a neutral constitutional figure. But in December 2024, the Opposition moved a no-confidence motion against him - the first ever against a Rajya Sabha Chairman - accusing him of repeatedly silencing their voices and denying interventions. Though it was ultimately rejected, insiders say the episode changed him significantly. That's when he began leaning towards Opposition leaders, caste and community groups, bar councils, and even legal circles, meeting them in private, and often being critical of the government in those meetings.
His insistence on protocol - such as meeting visiting US Vice President JD Vance one-on-one, citing parity between VPs - further irked the establishment. "He took himself very seriously. It was futile trying to explain that the Vice President of the US is an entirely different political creature but we still did it," another source said.
