Heard of ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ not of ‘Laapataa VP’: Kapil Sibal questions Jagdeep Dhankhar’s whereabouts

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday raised questions regarding the whereabouts of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar following his sudden resignation on July 21. Dhankhar stepped down citing health concerns, but since then, no clear information has been available about his location or condition. Sibal urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to issue a statement clarifying Dhankhar’s status to address growing public and political concerns.

Sibal stated that Dhankhar has not been at his official residence since his resignation. He added that on July 22, when he tried to contact the former Vice President, Dhankhar’s personal secretary informed him that Dhankhar was resting. Since then, multiple political colleagues have also been unable to reach Dhankhar. “On July 22, Jagdeep Dhankhar, our vice president, resigned, and it is August 9 today, and since that day, we just do not know where he is,” Sibal said.

The former Union Minister highlighted that Dhankhar had recently undergone angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022, with a tenure scheduled to last until 2027. He also served as chairman of the Rajya Sabha. During his tenure, Dhankhar had multiple interactions with opposition members, including an impeachment motion filed against him, which was later rejected.

Sibal expressed concern about the lack of communication from Dhankhar’s family and friends. “People of his family have also not said anything. What is the issue? We had heard of such things only in other countries but India is democratic so such things should be in the public domain,” he said. Sibal also said, “I had very good personal relations with him. He was a lawyer with me who argued many cases. I am concerned. It does not look nice that I go and file an FIR. There is no news from him, from his friends, family.”

He appealed to the home ministry to provide clarity on Dhankhar’s whereabouts, emphasizing the government’s access to resources and information. “I would like to urge the home minister, you have such resources, you send back Bangladeshis, he was, after all, our vice president, so you would know, so please give a statement on it,” Sibal said. With the vice presidential election approaching in September, Sibal noted the importance of knowing if Dhankhar is fit to participate.