After Stepping Down as Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar Speaks Out on RSS for the First Time; Recalls Pranab Mukherjee’s Visit to Nagpur

Bhopal: Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned from office earlier this year, addressed his first public event on Friday in the Madhya Pradesh capital. Speaking at the launch of a book written by RSS Joint General Secretary Manmohan Vaidya, Dhankhar praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and lauded its ideology and nation-building vision.

Dhankhar had unexpectedly resigned from the Vice President’s post on 21 July, ahead of the completion of his term. His appearance in Bhopal marks his first major public engagement since then.

Dhankhar Praises RSS Vision, Calls Book a ‘Tonic for the Mind’

At the book launch, Dhankhar emphasized the importance of India’s cultural roots, institutional unity, and civilizational self-confidence. He highlighted the significance of approaching the world with a strong sense of inner trust and heritage.

“We must engage with the world with inner confidence and civilizational strength,” he said, describing the book as a “tonic for the mind” that deepens faith in India’s cultural foundations.

He added, “We are living in a time when thought itself shapes reality, no matter how much one tries to deny it.”

Hinting at criticism directed toward him in recent months, Dhankhar said that his intentions are often misunderstood by those who “do not understand, do not want to understand, or seek to malign at any cost.”

According to him, the book underscores how India, shaped by over 6,000 years of continuous civilizational wisdom, holds a unique capacity to guide the world during times of global unrest.

Refers to Pranab Mukherjee’s 2018 Visit to RSS Headquarters

Recalling former President Pranab Mukherjee’s 2018 visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Dhankhar said the episode triggered strong reactions and stirred controversy, with some critics even calling it “blasphemy.”

He remarked that excessive condemnation was part of a deliberate narrative to undermine nationalist sentiment. But Pranab Mukherjee, he said, defused the entire controversy with a single entry he wrote at Dr. K.B. Hedgewar’s birthplace:
“Today, I have come here to pay respect and homage to a great son of India.”

Dhankhar noted that similar narratives were recently attempted against him as well but refrained from elaborating further.

‘Citizens Hold the Power to Shape a Rising India’

The former Vice President stressed that building a flourishing India ultimately rests in the hands of its people.
“Citizens possess the enormous capability to cultivate economic nationalism, build a strong security ecosystem, and deepen cultural pride,” he said.

Resigned Citing Health Reasons

Dhankhar had resigned from the Vice President’s post citing health concerns. His resignation was accepted within a few hours. He was last seen in September at the oath-taking ceremony of the new Vice President, C.P. Radhakrishnan.