NEW DELHI: As the opposition is busy guessing former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s whereabouts, he is keeping himself busy playing table tennis and practicing yoga, news agency PTI reported.Almost a month after he abruptly resigned from his post on the first day of the Monsoon Session, people in the know of his routine said he regularly practises yoga and plays table tennis with his well-wishers and staff members at the Vice President’s enclave.
“Even after returning from tours, he used to play table tennis with his staff members,” a person told PTI.This comes as the opposition pointed out that there had been no news about Dhankhar since the day he resigned citing health conditions. They also urged Union home minister Amit Shah to reassure the public about the former Vice-President’s well-being at the earliest.”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,” Kapil Sibal had said. “So, I have heard of ‘Laapataa Ladies’ but I have never heard of a ‘laapataa Vice President’,” he added, referencing the Kiran Rao directorial, which was India’s official entry to the Oscars. “What should we do? Should we file a habeas corpus?” he added.Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation as Vice President citing health reasons, with two years remaining in his five-year term, sparked intense speculation and conspiracy theories.Dhankhar is only the third Vice President to resign before completing his term, after VV Giri and R Venkataraman. His unexpected exit on the first day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session has left political observers searching for deeper explanations beyond “health reasons”.Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced that polling for the Vice Presidential election will take place on September 9, with counting of votes scheduled for the same day. The last date for filing nominations is August 21, while withdrawals can be made until August 25.The National Democratic Alliance has named Maharashtra governor CP Radhakrishnan as its nominee. On the other hand, the opposition announced former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election.
