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Jagdeep Dhankhar Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

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Age: 72 Years
Wife: Dr Sudesh Dhankhar
Caste: Jat

Jagdeep Dhankhar

Bio/Wiki
Full nameChaudhary Jagdeep Dhankhar [1]Lok Sabha's official website
Name earnedKisan Putra [2]The Indian Express
Profession(s)Politician and Lawyer
Known forBeing the 28th Governor of West Bengal and 14th Vice-President of India
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 182 cm
in meters- 1.82 m
in feet & inches- 6’ 0”
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourSalt and Pepper
Politics
Political Party• Janta Dal (1988-1991)
Janata Dal flag
• Indian National Congress (1991-2003)
Congress flag
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (2003-2019)
BJP flag
Political Journey• Janta Dal's Member of Parliament from Jhunjhunu (1989-1991)
• Union Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (April-November 1990)
• Member of Legislative Assembly from Kishangarh (1993-1998)
Constitutional Posts
Post(s)• 21st Governor of West Bengal (30 July 2019-18 July 2022)
• 14th Vice President of India (assumed office on 11 August 2022)

Note: He emerged victorious by securing 528 votes out of the 725 votes in the 2022 vice-presidential election; he defeated the United Opposition's candidate Margaret Alva in the election. [3]The Telegraph
Personal Life
Date of Birth18 May 1951 (Friday)
Age (as of 2023) 72 Years
BirthplaceKithana, Jhunjhunu District, Rajasthan
Zodiac signTaurus
SignatureJagdeep Dhankhar's signature
NationalityIndian
HometownKithana, Jhunjhunu District, Rajasthan
School• Government Primary School, Kithana
• Sainik School, Chittorgarh
College/University• Maharaja’s College, Jaipur
• University of Rajasthan
Educational Qualification(s)• B.Sc (Honours) Physics [4]The Quint
• LLB [5]The Quint
CasteJat [6]The Indian Express
AddressVill. & P.O. Kithana, District Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan
HobbiesTravelling, meditation, reading
Controversies• War of words with Mamata Banerjee: During his stint as the Governor of West Bengal, he often made headlines over his disagreements with Mamata Banerjee, the CM of West Bengal.

• Denied entry in the Jadavpur University: In 2019, the Jadavpur University's employee union, which was closely affiliated with the TMC, blocked the entry of the governor in the university because of his disagreements with the TMC-led West Bengal government. [7]DNA

• Failure of the Vice Chancellors of West Bengal to attend a meeting: In July 2020, the governor called for a meeting of the Vice Chancellors of the state-run universities at his residence. When none of the VCs showed up, the governor initiated an inquiry into the matter. When the governor asked for an answer on the issue from Mamata Banerjee, she accused the governor of starting an unwanted inquiry against the VCs and playing into the hands of the BJP by becoming their "mouthpiece." Mamata, in an interview, said,
"Despite being elected representatives, we are expected (by Governor) to behave like servants…and have to answer (him) every moment. We are in regular touch with the Governor — I spoke with him four times on Wednesday. What will the (state) government do: tackle the pandemic or continue answering his queries? Enough is enough."
Jagdeep Dhankhar, in return, accused Mamata Banerjee and her government of meddling in the "educational affairs of the state" by making an "unwholesome situation" in the education society of Bengal. Dhankhar, in an interview, said,
"Education is the soul of a society, as it passes from one generation to another. It is unfortunate that in our state education is politically caged and controlled. The political grip on education is tightening — it will hurt students, the education scenario, and the society at large." [8]The Indian Express

• Accused of deliberately visiting violence hit areas of West Bengal for political gains: In May 2021, Jagdeep Dhankhar was accused by the Chief Minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, of violating the electoral norms by visiting the violence-hit areas of West Bengal. In his defence, the governor said that he was discharging his duties, which were given to him by the constitution of India. [9]DNA

• Blocked by the CM on social media: In January 2022, Mamata blocked the governor of West Bengal on Twitter and accused him of deliberately attacking her government. In an interview, she said,
"I have been forced to block Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter. Everyday he (Governor) was issuing tweets targeting and threatening govt officials as if we're his bonded labourers." [10]Zee News

• Accusing Mamata Banerjee of inciting violence in the state: In March 2022, after the outbreak of violence in West Bengal, the governor accused the Mamata-led West Bengal government of promoting "lawlessness" in the state. The CM responded by asking the governor to "refrain from making unwarranted statements and allow the administration to conduct an impartial probe." [11]India TV [12]OpIndia

• Spat over TMC's statement on Jihad against BJP: In June 2022, after the declaration of 21 June as the "day of Jihad against the BJP" by the TMC, the governor retaliated to the statement of the Chief Minister as "authoritarian and undemocratic." He further stated that such statements are "equivalent to a death knell for democracy and the rule of law." Expressing his disappointment, the governor wrote a letter to Mamata asking her to correct her undemocratic statement.
A letter written by the governor to Mamata Banerjee on the declaration of 21 July 2022 as Jihad against BJP

• Making the CM of West Bengal the Chancellor of state-owned universities: In July 2022, going against the provisions of the constitution of India, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed a bill that allowed the CM to be appointed as a "by-default" Chancellor of state-run universities, instead of the governor. The bill also gave the power of appointing a Vice-Chancellor to the CM of the state. Jagdeep Dhankhar accused the West Bengal government of trying to take the attention from the irregularities in the appointment of teachers in the universities, which were pinpointed by the Calcutta High Court. Following the passage of the bill by the West Bengal government, the governor appointed Mahua Mukherjee as the next Vice Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University (RBU). The spokesperson of TMC accused the governor of taking unlawful decisions. He further accused the governor of going against the fundamental principles of a democracy. In an interview, the spokesperson told,
"The governor has once again proved that he does not believe in democratic principles and federalism. The Bill passed by the West Bengal Assembly to appoint the Chief Minister to the post of Chancellor of the state universities is awaited, while the Hon’ble Governor has announced one name as the Vice-Chancellor of RBU. He did not even consider it necessary to take the Education Minister and the Chief Minister into confidence before this announcement.” [13]Zee News
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Marriage DateYear, 1979
Family
Wife/SpouseDr Sudesh Dhankhar (PhD in Economics)
Jagdeep Dhankhar with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar
ChildrenDaughter- Kamna Dhankhar
Jagdeep Dhankhar with his daughter
ParentsFather- Chaudhary Gokal Chand
Mother- Kesari Devi
SiblingsBrother(s)- 2
• Kuldeep Dhankhar (politician)
Kuldeep Dhankhar, brother of Jagdeep Dhankhar
• Randeep Dhankhar
Randeep Dhankhar (in middle), brother of Jagdeep Dhankhar
Sister-
• Indra Dhankhar
Money Factor
Salary (as the Vice-President of India)Rs. 4,00,000 + other allowances (as of September 2022) [14]Asianet Newsable

Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor of Bengal

Some Lesser Known Facts About Jagdeep Dhankhar

  • Jagdeep Dhankhar is a former BJP politician and lawyer. He is known for being the 28th Governor of West Bengal. In July 2022, he made headlines after being chosen as a Vice-President electoral candidate by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and in August 2022 he assumed the office of the Vice President of India.
  • After completing his B.Sc LLB in 1979, Jagdeep Dhankhar began practising law as an advocate in Rajasthan.
  • On 10 November 1979, Jagdeep Dhankhar was enrolled as an advocate in the Bar Council of Rajasthan.
  • In 1987, Jagdeep Dhankhar was appointed as the President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association. With the appointment, he became the youngest President of the Bar association of Rajasthan.
  • In 1988, Jagdeep Dhankhar began his political career by joining the Janata Dal (JD).
  • In the same year, Jagdeep Dhankhar contested the 9th Lok Sabha elections from the Janata Dal, and he was elected as a member of parliament from the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. He remained an MP till the end of 1991.
  • On 27 March 1990, Jagdeep Dhankhar was appointed as a senior advocate in the Rajasthan High Court. He remained at the post till 2019.
  • On 21 April 1990, Jagdeep Dhankhar was appointed as a Union Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; he held the ministry till the end of 1990.
  • From January 1990 to May 1990, Jagdeep Dhankhar served as the chairman of several parliamentary committees such as the Committee on Absence of Members from the Sittings of the House, General Purposes Committee, and Committee of Privileges.
  • In 1990, Jagdeep Dhankhar began practising law in the Supreme Court, where he focused mainly on the litigation pertaining to Steel, Coal, Mine, and International Commercial Arbitration. He has fought cases in several high courts across India.
  • In 1991, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as a member of parliament and joined the Indian National Congress.
  • In 1993, Jagdeep Dhankhar contested the 10th Legislative Assembly elections in Rajasthan, and he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Kishangarh constituency in Rajasthan. He remained an MLA of the INC until the end of 1998.
  • In 2003, he joined the BJP, and in 2008, he became a member of the BJP’s assembly election campaign committee.
  • In 2015, Jagdeep Dhankhar supported the agitation regarding the granting of the OBC status and its quota to the Jat community of Rajasthan. [15]NDTV
  • In 2016, he was appointed as a national convener of the BJP’s law and legal affairs department.
  • On 20 July 2019, Jagdeep Dhankhar was appointed as the 28th Governor of West Bengal.

    Jagdeep Dhankhar during his swearing-in ceremony as the 28th governor of West Bengal

    Jagdeep Dhankhar during his swearing-in ceremony as the 28th governor of West Bengal

  • Following his appointment as a governor, in 2019, Jagdeep Dhankhar was made the chairman of the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC).
  • In July 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar participated in the India Today Conclave in which he talked about the worrisome state of affairs regarding governance, constitutional violations by different state governments, communal patronage, and the prevalence of extortion mafias in the state.

    Jagdeep Dhankhar during India Today Conclave

    Jagdeep Dhankhar during India Today Conclave

  • On 18 July 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar was selected by the National Democratic Alliance as its Vice-Presidential candidate. On 11 August 2022, he took the oath as the 14th Vice-President of India.

    Jagdeep Dhankhar taking oath as the 14th Vice-President of India

    Jagdeep Dhankhar taking oath as the 14th Vice-President of India

  • Jagdeep Dhankhar is a hodophile (one who likes to travel a lot). He, along with his family, has travelled to several countries like the United States, Canada, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
  • In an interview, Jagdeep Dhankhar once claimed that when he was in class 6th, he used to travel 5 to 6 kilometres every day.
  • Apart from partaking in several political activities, Jagdeep Dhankhar has participated in various social service activities with the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS).
  • As the president of the Rajasthan Olympic Association and the Rajasthan Tennis Association, Jagdeep Dhankhar has played a vital role in promoting sports in Rajasthan.
  • After his nomination for the Vice-Presidential elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) projected Jagdeep Dhankhar as “Kisan Putra” (son of a farmer). [16]The Indian Express
  • Aiming at Jagdeep Dhankhar’s nomination, Saugata Ray, an MP from TMC, stated in an interview that the governor was selected as a candidate for the post of Vice President because he had made it difficult for the West Bengal’s state government to function. He further said that the Governor functioned as a mouthpiece of the BJP, and his nomination was a relief for the state. He said,

    Jagdeep Dhakhar was a constant trouble and disturbing element to the West Bengal government. Dhankhar’s nomination as vice-president is a reward for making the Bengal government’s life miserable. We are relieved that he has been nominated as vice president. Dhankhar has worked as a BJP spokesperson. His performance has been excellent as a BJP spokesperson and thus he has received the award.” [17]The Economic Times

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