New Delhi: In the annals of Indian democracy, constitutional offices have sometimes been misused, but rarely with such brazen partisanship as is now being witnessed from incumbent Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. 

His recent tirade against the Supreme Court isn’t just an embarrassment. It is a dangerous assault on the very architecture of our republic. History will remember this moment as a warning: when those sworn to protect the Constitution instead become its most reckless saboteurs, the whole edifice trembles.

Let’s be clear: Dhankhar’s public denouncement of the Supreme Court’s use of Article 142 – calling it a “nuclear missile against democratic forces” – is not just wrong, it is unconstitutional. 

Article 142 is a safety valve, designed by the framers of the Constitution to ensure that justice is never thwarted by executive apathy or legislative gridlock. When the Supreme Court acts under this provision, it is not usurping power; it is only fulfilling its constitutional mandate to “do complete justice.” To attack this is to attack the very spirit of the Indian Constitution.

This isn’t the first time constitutional authorities have tried to play politics with their office. Recall the infamous Official Emergency of 1975, when President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signed away citizens’ rights at the government’s behest, rubber-stamping authoritarianism instead of upholding his oath. Or more recently, Tamil Nadu governor R.N. Ravi’s refusal to assent to bills passed by a democratically elected assembly, a move the Supreme Court rightly called “illegal” and “arbitrary.” 

In both cases, the misuse of high office for partisan ends triggered public outrage and judicial rebuke. Dhankhar’s current conduct, going back to his days as the governor of West Bengal, belongs to this ignoble tradition.

What makes Dhankhar’s actions especially egregious is the open alignment with the ruling party’s grievances. When the judiciary rules against the government, the vice-president – who should be a neutral constitutional guardian – parrots the party line, undermining the very institution he is supposed to respect. 

This is not just a violation of constitutional morality, it is a betrayal of his oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.” The vice-president’s job is to rise above party politics, not descend into the trenches as the executive’s attack dog. 

Having been rewarded by the Modi government for his egregious conduct as a governor, Dhankhar’s ambition has perhaps been stoked to somehow get to the country’s highest constitutional post.

Consequences of Dhankar's behaviour are dire

Dhankhar’s political career is marked by frequent shifts in party allegiance, raising questions about his ideological commitment and trustworthiness as a public figure which includes an undistinguished legal career. 

Beginning with the Janata Dal in the late 1980s, he moved to the Congress party in 1991 to become an MLA in Rajasthan, only to later join the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003. 

Such a trajectory across the political spectrum suggests that his loyalties have been shaped more by personal ambition and political expediency than by steadfast adherence to any core ideology. 

His opportunistic party-hopping and lack of a consistent ideological anchor render him an untrustworthy character, raising doubts about his motivations and reliability in upholding the principles he now vocally espouses.

The consequences of Dhankhar’s behaviour are dire. Public trust in the judiciary is one of the last bulwarks of Indian democracy. When high constitutional authorities vilify the courts, they chip away at the foundations of justice and embolden those who would subvert the rule of law. If Ravi deserves to be sacked for his unconstitutional obstruction as governor, so too does Dhankhar for his partisan assaults.

In a healthy democracy, shame would have prompted resignation. In its absence, removal is the only remedy. That is a rather cumbersome process, leaving Dhankhar the sane option of changing his conduct. He has already caused huge damage to the dignity of his office and to Indian democracy. The Constitution cannot be hostage to the ambitions of those who mistake their office for a party post. History is watching, and it will not be kind to those like Dhankhar, who betray their sacred trust for political gain.

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