Heard of Laapataa Ladies not of laapataa V-P: Sibal on Dhankhar's no-show since resignation
Mr. Sibal urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement on the whereabouts of Mr. Dhankhar to assuage his concerns about his health and well-being.
In a sudden and surprise move, Mr. Dhankhar resigned as Vice-President on July 21, the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, citing health reasons.
But opposition leaders have claimed that he was forced to resign.
"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. He is not in his official residence. On the first day, I tried to contact him and his personal secretary picked up the phone and said he is resting," Mr. Sibal said.
The Independent MP said several of his political colleagues also have not been able to get through to him.
"So, I have heard of 'Laapataa Ladies' but I have never heard of 'laapataa vice president'," the former Law Minister said in a nod to the Kiran Rao directorial, which was India's official entry to the Oscars.
Mr. Dhankhar was the Vice President, and he supported the government throughout his tenure, but it now seems the opposition will have to protect him, Mr. Sibal said, taking a swipe at the government.
"What should we do? Should we file a habeas corpus?" he said.
Mr. Sibal said that the home ministry must know where Mr. Dhankhar is and must reveal it because even his health was not good, Sibal said.
"So, is he getting treatment done somewhere? 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," the former Congress member said.
Editorial | Agony of exit: On the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar
"I had very good personal relations with him [Dhankhar]. 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 said.
"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 [his whereabouts]," he added.
In a post on X also, Mr. Sibal, a senior Supreme Court advocate, asked, "Can we be informed: Where is he? Is he safe? Why is he incommunicado? Amit Shah ji should know! He was our Vice President; the country should be worried!" There is time to go before the Vice-Presidential election in September, Mr. Sibal said, adding "we can meet him before that." He said such an incident has never happened in "India's history." Mr. Dhankhar last month sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect.
Mr. Dhankhar (74) assumed office in August 2022, and his tenure was till 2027.
He was also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.
He had recently undergone angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
In his eventful tenure as the Rajya Sabha chairman, Mr. Dhankhar had several run-ins with the Opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him.
The motion, the first time in independent India to remove a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
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