Jaipur: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar Monday dismissed allegations made by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot that Constitutional institutions, including the office of the vice president and governor, are working under political pressure. Speaking at a gathering of former MLAs at the Constitution Club in Jaipur, Dhankhar described Gehlot as a long-time friend but expressed surprise over his recent comments in Jodhpur. “He is one of my oldest friends, but I was surprised when he suggested I work under pressure,” Dhankhar said.“Let me say this clearly—I neither work under pressure, nor do I exert it. My conscience is free, my conduct is independent, and my commitment is solely to the Constitution,” Dhankhar said.“If a governor doesn’t function according to desires of the state govt, allegations begin to fly. Now, even the President and the Vice President have been brought into this line of fire. This is deeply concerning and requires serious reflection,” he added.Calling such allegations “unfounded and inappropriate,” Dhankhar cited the example of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. “I have closely seen Om Birla’s conduct. A person who drinks the water of Rajasthan can never come under pressure. Our land breeds resilience,” he said.Governor Haribhau Bagde, also present at the event, echoed Dhankhar’s views. “The only pressure we recognise is that of the Constitution — nothing else. Be it the Vice President, govt, or the CM, we all work within the bounds of Constitutional responsibility. We do not and will not function under any external influence. The Constitution alone is our guiding force,” Bagde asserted.Bagde spoke of the historical misuse of Article 356, which allows for President’s Rule in states. “Between 1967 and 1979, Article 356 was used several times to dismiss elected state govts. But in the past 11 years, this misuse stopped—a sign of our democratic maturity,” he said. He added that when governors discharge duties impartially, invocation of Article 356 becomes redundant. “Today, even in times of political unrest, Article 356 is used sparingly because institutions respect the spirit of democracy,” he said.
