Overview

• Dhankhar cited health concerns in his July 22 letter to President Droupadi Murmu, stepping down immediately despite pledging 11 days earlier to serve until August 2027.
• Earlier that day, as Rajya Sabha chairman, he formally accepted an opposition motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Verma with 63 signatures and indicated plans to review a second notice against Justice Shekhar Yadav.
• He showed no visible signs of illness while presiding over the full day’s proceedings and handling the impeachment notices, leading critics to question the sincerity of his health claims.
• Unnamed BJP sources say MPs were asked to sign blank papers in Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s office before the resignation, stoking theories of internal coercion.
• Responsibility for the unprecedented judicial removal process now rests with Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, who will set the timeline for any further action.