‘Can't skip duty to ...’: Jagdeep Dhankhar’s first public address since surprise exit

Opening his speech, Dhankhar hinted at his long absence. “Four months later, on this occasion, on this book, in this city, I should not hesitate to speak,” he said.

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Friday, broke his four-month silence after resigning from office, reiterating that he places duty above all else. Dhankhar stepped down in July, citing health reasons, a move that had surprised many in political circles.

He was speaking in Bhopal at the launch of a book by senior RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya, marking his first public address since his exit.

Opening his speech, Dhankhar hinted at his long absence. “Four months later, on this occasion, on this book, in this city, I should not hesitate to speak,” he said.

Praising Vaidya’s work, the former vice president said the book dismantles long-standing misconceptions about the RSS. According to him, the organisation has been unfairly labelled “ultra-right and anti-minority,” and even linked to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. “The untenability of all this is now fully exposed,” he said.

Dhankhar also criticised protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, describing them as “irrational.” He added, “Friends, we are living in tough times. No one knows more than I do. But one has to hold one’s own.”

In the middle of his address, an aide approached Dhankhar to remind him of his flight to Delhi scheduled at 7.30 pm. Dhankhar used the moment to make a pointed remark.

“Main flight pakadne ki chinta se apne kartavya ko nahi chhod sakta. And friends, my recent past is proof of it,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Dhankhar had stepped down as vice president on a day he presided over the Rajya Sabha, and has since stayed largely away from public events except attending the oath ceremony of Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan in September.

With the RSS approaching its centenary, Dhankhar described the organisation as “the most stabilising force in Bharat, home to one-sixth of humanity and for global welfare.”

He warned of rising global instability driven by expansionist policies, economic distress, climate pressures and demographic shifts. He also flagged technological domains, AI, machine learning and blockchain, as new areas of geopolitical contest.

“We see all around turbulence and disturbance, uncertainty and unpredictability. And the only solution to that is we must fall back to our civilisational essence,” he said.