"I'll pray to God that he gets well soon," says BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar on VP's resignation

New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Following the unexpected announcement by Vice President Jageep Dhankhar a day ago that he is stepping down from his post, the BJP and its allies have responded cautiously. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP), Jagannath Sarkar on Tuesday said that he will pray for Dhankar's better health.
"If he is not well, then he should get treatment. I'll pray to God that he gets well soon," said Sarkar.
Union Minister Anupriya Patel termed the announcement as "shocking and surprising."
"The resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar is shocking and surprising...Vice President presided over the house yesterday...The Vice President has resigned due to health reasons...May he stay healthy," she said.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said, "He is a very serious, disciplined person; his contribution to our country has been immense. He listened to everyone, but his health had not been well for some days, so he resigned..."
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi meanwhile this morning said that the relationship between the Vice President and the Centre doesn't seem as it was before.
"The resignation of the Vice President is sudden and unfortunate, because of the way he was presiding in the meetings yesterday. Today, he also has a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) in the Rajya Sabha. From our side, we wish him good health, but it seems that the relationship between the Central Government and the Vice President is not the same as it was before. Because even the Union Minister was not present in yesterday's BAC meeting. So far, there has been no statement from Prime Minister Modi," Gogoi said.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, "It took everyone by surprise, including me...This looks like one of those Soviet style resignations when, in those days, high-ranking officials were asked to go citing medical reasons...Hopefully, in the coming days we will have some transparency."
Vice President Dhankhar resigned on Monday from his post "to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice."
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the constitution," his letter said.
The Vice President also expressed his deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers."Prime Minister's cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office," he said.
Dhankhar said that the warmth, trust, and affection he has received from all the Members of Parliament will be cherished and embedded in his memory. The resignation came on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Dhankhar was sworn in as the 14th Vice President of India on August 11, 2022. As Vice President, he also served as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)