'Dhankhar didn't allow us to speak, was asked to resign when began to speak freely': Kharge

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. (File photos)

Amid growing speculation over the circumstances surrounding the unexpected exit of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice President last month, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that former Rajya Sabha chairman would stifle the Opposition's right to speak in the House but himself faced the axe when he began speaking freely.

Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Dhankhar were often seen locking horns in the Parliament over several issues with Kharge often claiming that the chairman doesn't let the Opposition speak during the House proceedings and also accused him of partiality.

On Saturday, while speaking at the party's day-long conclave, "Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways", Kharge alleged the former Rajya Sabha chairman was threatened and pressured to withdraw a motion by the opposition members against Justice Yashwant Varma.

"He was told to either withdraw the motion or resign. He resigned," Kharge said, according to a report by NDTV.

Recalling how the Opposition was allegedly not allowed to speak during House proceedings during Dhankhar's term, Dhankhar said, ""The previous Vice President did not allow us to speak. He used to suspend us; one of our women MPs was suspended for seven months."

He was referring to Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil, who was suspended during the Budget session in 2023 for allegedly videographing House proceedings and sharing it on social media in violation of rules, according to NDTV.

"But when he (Jagdeep Dhankar) started speaking freely, started talking about rules, started talking about the action against Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Verma, then he was threatened, pressure was put on him to withdraw the motion," he said.

On July 21, Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down as Vice President, citing health reasons, 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 earlier hinted at a deeper unease, possibly even a breakdown of trust between him and the Centre that he once strongly defended.

The tipping point, as per the sources cited by NDTV, came when he refused to align with the government's stand on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma.