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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s cryptic comments on Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation hinted — like other opposition parties — that it could be more than what meets the eye
Jagdeep Dhankhar was known for his frequent run-ins with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee during his tenure as the governor of the state from 2019 to 2022. (Image: PTI/File)
Jagdeep Dhankhar’s longtime political adversary, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed scepticism about his surprise resignation citing health issues and has declared him “a healthy man”.
While Banerjee said she is unwilling to comment on Dhankhar’s sudden exit, she said she believed that his condition is “absolutely fine”. Known for her frequent run-ins with him when he was Bengal governor from 2019 to 2022, she made the cryptic remarks during a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna.
She, however, like other opposition parties hinted there could be more to the development than what meets the eye.
“Political parties cannot decide why Mr Dhankhar resigned. I have no comments on the issue,” Banerjee said. “Let us watch. He is a healthy man. I think his health is absolutely fine.”
The chief minister’s comments came amid a political firestorm over Dhankhar’s decision to quit the post of vice president of India. Many in the opposition claimed that it was “totally unexpected” and possibly driven by factors beyond the official line of “prioritising health care”.
The usual effusive praise showered on an occupant of a high office on his departure was missing from the ruling alliance’s side, an indication that the government was probably happy to see him go. It was the opposition, which had signed a notice to impeach him last year for his alleged biases, that had nice words for him.
This was including the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) – a party that not only has a troubled history with Dhankhar but has since repeatedly mocked him and called him a “government stooge”.
“Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation. Is health the only reason? If so, get well soon. Otherwise, curiosity remains,” said TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on X, a man known to be a bitter critic of Dhankhar in his gubernatorial role.
Speaking to reporters later, Ghosh said: “We do not wish to comment on this, as our top leadership is observing the situation. He has cited health reasons, so we wish him good health.”
Another senior TMC leader, Sushmita Dev said she was quite “surprised” by Dhankhar’s sudden decision. “I did see some news that he was not keeping well. But one did not imagine that it was serious enough for him to step down. I thought he would go on leave, recover and come back, so I was quite surprised by his decision,” she told a news channel.
WHY DO DHANKHAR AND MAMATA SHARE A TENSE RELATIONSHIP?
Dhankhar was a harsh critic of the Mamata Banerjee administration during his tenure as governor in the state and had often been at the centre of confrontations with the ruling party before being elevated as Vice President in 2022.
The two share a deeply adversarial and politically charged relationship. In fact, some of their spats – often public and on social media – got so ugly that Banerjee even blocked him on X in January 2022, then known as Twitter, accusing him unethical and abusive behaviour.
Banerjee has often described him as a “BJP mouthpiece” while repeatedly seeking his removal, alleging obstruction in routine government processes. Despite an occasional attempt at a truce, their relationship was fraught with tension and confrontational to the point that it lasted even after he resigned as governor to assume the office of vice president. While presiding over the Rajya Sabha, too, he had been the target of TMC members in the House, who resolutely believed him to be politically partisan.
(With PTI inputs)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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