Seated in the front row next to his predecessor, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Dhankhar looked relaxed, sharing smiles and greetings. His wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, accompanied him, while another former Vice President, Hamid Ansari, sat alongside Naidu — creating the rare sight of three former VPs in one frame.
The swearing-in of CP Radhakrishnan as India’s new Vice President on Friday was meant to be the highlight of the day. Yet, much of the spotlight fell on a familiar but long-absent figure — Jagdeep Dhankhar, making his first public appearance since his surprise resignation on July 21 citing health concerns.
His sudden exit had left Delhi’s political circles buzzing, and his 50-day absence only added to the mystery. No wonder then, that Dhankhar’s reappearance instantly stole the show.
Seated in the front row next to his predecessor, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Dhankhar looked relaxed, sharing smiles and greetings. His wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, accompanied him, while another former Vice President, Hamid Ansari, sat alongside Naidu — creating the rare sight of three former VPs in one frame.
Dhankhar’s silence, however, continues to be a talking point. The Opposition has repeatedly questioned the secrecy around his resignation. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh remarked earlier this week that the “nation is still waiting for him to speak out.” Rahul Gandhi too raised the issue during the Monsoon Session, pointedly asking, “Where has the old VP gone?” It is another matter that the BJP today was questioning the absence of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi from today’s event
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh slammed Gandhi for his “constitutionally irresponsible behaviour by abstaining from the oath ceremony of the newly-elected Vice President”. “Rahul Gandhi has not only undermined the grace of his office but has brought shame to the nation. He might be busy in his personal matters but he has no grace to carry out his constitutional responsibilities,” he said, also questioning his foreign trips without prior information to his security staff.
Meanwhile, Radhakrishnan’s victory remains significant. The BJP nominee comfortably defeated Opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes earlier this week, cementing his place as the 15th Vice President of India.
