Published Oct 26, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 26, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Dhankhar shared the stage at the Reshimbagh grounds in Nagpur with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Synopsis: Jagdeep Dhankhar’s appearance at the RSS’s Dussehra celebrations in Nagpur has reignited speculation about his abrupt resignation as Vice-President and possible tensions between the RSS and BJP leadership. Devulapalli Amar examines conspiracy theories involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, questioning whether Dhankhar’s invitation signalled an internal power struggle or an attempt to counter allegations surrounding his exit.
Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned abruptly as Vice-President fifteen months ago citing health reasons amid what were described as “suspicious circumstances,” appeared on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) stage during its recent Dussehra celebrations, sparking widespread discussion.
On the one hand, there are claims that the BJP-led Union government is making life difficult for Dhankhar by denying him accommodation in Delhi in his capacity as a former Vice-President. On the other hand, the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor, invited him to its Dussehra celebrations.
And it was no ordinary Dussehra celebration. Every year, the RSS celebrates its Foundation Day on Dussehra at its headquarters in Nagpur. This year, the occasion assumed greater significance as it also marked the culmination of its centenary celebrations. Dhankhar shared the stage at the Reshimbagh grounds in Nagpur with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Other prominent guests included Sanjay Gupta, editor of the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, and Yaniv Revach, Israel’s Consul General. Why did the RSS leadership invite Jagdeep Dhankhar as a special guest to such an important event?
Why did the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo humiliate and push out Jagdeep Dhankhar, whom they had personally handpicked for the office of Vice-President?
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Before 2014, those who held the office of the Vice President were highly accomplished intellectuals and men of great moral integrity. The Vice-President serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. As the Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha must be guided and managed responsibly.
After Narendra Modi and Amit Shah took charge of the Union Government, they began appointing individuals to such positions whom they believed would either pose no political challenge or remain deeply loyal to them.
Dhankhar moved to the BJP after his stints with the Janata Dal and the Congress. Soon after Modi returned as the prime minister for a second term in 2019, Dhankhar was appointed Governor of West Bengal. He demonstrated considerable loyalty to the BJP leadership. He repeatedly clashed with the state government and then chief minister Mamata Banerjee. While serving as Governor, he frequently made controversial political remarks on X (formerly Twitter), and through the media.
His political comments went so far that the Trinamool Congress mocked him as the real Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee even blocked Dhankhar on X, alleging that he had repeatedly referred to her in unethical and distasteful terms. One can imagine the extent of their differences when a chief minister had to block the Governor of her own state.
When the BJP fielded Dhankhar for the Vice-Presidential election in 2022, it hailed him as the “son of a farmer.” A large contingent of Union ministers and BJP leaders, led by PM Modi himself, accompanied him to file the nomination. How did this relationship come to such an abrupt end within just three years?
Why did the BJP leadership force him out? Why did the RSS invite him back to its stage at such a significant event? Is there a growing rift between the RSS and the BJP-led Union government, as has been discussed for some time? Some within the Sangh believe that honouring Dhankhar at this juncture was an attempt by the RSS to assert its authority. They argue that his invitation has helped dispel the perception that the BJP has gained an upper hand over the RSS in recent years.
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Over the past few years, some of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statements, even when indirect, have appeared to take pointed swipes at the BJP leadership in power at the Centre. During his Dussehra address last year, Bhagwat expressed concern over the ethnic violence in Manipur. He noted that even after a year had passed, the state was still waiting for conditions that would allow peace to return. His remarks implied that the Union government had not done enough to resolve the situation. It was only after this statement that Modi visited Manipur for the first time.
On another occasion, Bhagwat appeared to question PM Narendra Modi’s approach when he said that, in a democracy, the opposition must not be treated as traitors. As Modi approached the age of 75, Bhagwat also remarked that everyone should retire from office upon reaching that age. He later backtracked on the statement for reasons that remain unclear. Reports emerged that Modi had visited Nagpur once during the intervening period. Perhaps Dhankhar’s invitation is a continuation of the approach adopted by the RSS chief.
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Was there a conspiracy to bring down the Narendra Modi government and make Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister? Did foreign forces operating from the United States attempt to execute such a plan through then Vice-President Dhankhar? Was businessman Anil Ambani also involved? Did Modi force Dhankhar to resign in such a hurry because he had learned of this alleged conspiracy? Following Dhankhar’s resignation, a story along these lines gained considerable traction.
If that were true, why would the RSS invite Dhankhar as a special guest to its celebrations? Even assuming that the RSS is unhappy with Modi, it could remove him from office and find another loyalist who would follow its line. Why would it welcome Dhankhar if he had been part of a conspiracy to oust Modi and install Rahul Gandhi –the RSS’s sworn political adversary– as the prime minister?
Moving on from the alleged foreign conspiracy, let us look at another ‘story’ about the chain of events surrounding the resignation.
Exactly a year ago, Zameen Rythu, a highly respected, century-old weekly Telugu newspaper from Andhra Pradesh, published a banner story claiming that Anil Ambani had told Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that a section of the Sangh and the BJP was unhappy with Modi and that the prime minister was not popular among business circles because he was favouring only Adani. Ambani reportedly said that more details could emerge if someone met Dhankhar personally. According to the report, Naidu’s son and IT Minister, Nara Lokesh, subsequently met Dhankhar.
Reiterating this version of events, YouTube channels later claimed that Modi summoned Chandrababu Naidu and questioned him after learning of the meeting. Naidu allegedly avoided the confrontation by giving an incoherent response, denying that any such incident had occurred and assuring that it would not happen again. These reports claimed that Naidu’s praise of Modi became even more excessive from that point onward.
There is no way to establish whether such reports are true. Conspiracies are carried out in secret and are therefore difficult to prove. However, that does not necessarily mean they are untrue.
It may not be true that foreign forces plotted to make Rahul Gandhi the prime minister, but it does appear that attempts were made to remove Modi and that Dhankhar’s position came under threat in the process. Dhankhar’s appearance on the Nagpur stage on Dussehra has also raised suspicions about whether RSS was a participant in such an effort.
Recently, more than a year after the alleged events involving CM Naidu, a strongly pro-TDP Telugu daily published a front page story titled ‘The Real Story Behind Dhankhar’. The apparent aim was to distance Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh from the alleged conspiracy. The newspaper claimed that Chandrababu Naidu knew nothing about the conspiracy and, in fact, was the one who alerted Modi regarding the matter.
However, the newspaper has been caught out in its attempt to claim that Lokesh never met Dhankhar. It appears to have forgotten that it published a photograph on June 18 last year, just days before Dhankhar’s resignation, showing Lokesh meeting him in Delhi.
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Was it Jagdeep Dhankhar’s alleged attempt to conspire with foreign forces to bring down the Modi government?
Was it an attempt by Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Nara Lokesh, while remaining allies in the NDA, to reach Dhankhar through Anil Ambani in order to destabilise the Modi government?
Was it a fabricated story concocted by a newspaper to protect Chandrababu Naidu and his son?
Or was Dhankhar invited to the Nagpur Dussehra celebrations to send a message from the RSS to the BJP’s top leadership that he remains one of their own, thereby demolishing all these allegations?
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
