Where is former vice-president of India Jagdeep Dhankhar?.
The question has been reverberating across political circles ever since Dhankhar abruptly resigned on July 21. Several Opposition leaders have questioned in public the whereabouts of the former vice-president, once a vociferous voice for the Narendra Modi government, with no answers forthcoming from the ruling BJP.
On Thursday, the Kerala unit of the Congress took the questions around Dhankhar a notch louder, by posting a “Missing” poster for the former vice president on X (formerly Twitter).
"Please share max this till we find him. Urgent," the Congress unit wrote, along with a photo of Dhankhar, carrying his name, age, and “last seen” date.
Incidentally, Dhankhar’s official X account cannot be found anymore.
On Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had asked where Dhankhar was "hiding" and why the former vice-president had gone "completely silent."
Speaking at a function to felicitate the Opposition’s joint vice presidential nominee B. Sudershan Reddy, Rahul said there was a “story” behind Dhankhar stepping down.
He wondered why the former vice president of India is in a situation where "he cannot say a word" and "has to hide".
"Where has the old vice president gone? Why is he in hiding?" Gandhi asked at the central hall of the Samvidhan Sadan.
He recalled that the day Dhankhar resigned, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal came to him and said the Vice President "is gone".
"There is a story about why he is in hiding. Why is the (former) vice president of India in a situation where he cannot say a word, one word, and has to hide... everybody knows it," Rahul hammered it in.
"Suddenly, the person who used to burst forth in Rajya Sabha has gone silent, completely silent. So, these are the times we are living in," Rahul said.
Dhankhar had resigned, citing health reasons, on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, hours after allowing a proposal for impeachment of Justice Yashwat Varma over which the Treasury benches were allegedly in the dark.
CPI's Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar on Thursday said he has written to former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, expressing grave concern over his sudden resignation and subsequent "disappearance" from public life.
In a statement, the leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha said Dhankhar's resignation, citing health reasons, came as a shock to Parliament and the entire country.
"While differences during his tenure in the Chair were natural, the dignity of the office he held was always respected," he said.
The letter notes that Dhankhar's complete absence from the public domain since his resignation has caused greater anxiety.
"He has not addressed the press, not appeared in public, and even pre-scheduled events were cancelled. Such silence and withdrawal after citing health reasons has understandably created deep concern among fellow parliamentarians and citizens regarding his well-being," the CPI leader said.
Kumar said that in his letter, he urged Dhankhar to respond and reassure Parliament and the public at the earliest.
The CPI MP added that while the process to elect his successor is already underway, clarity and reassurance from Dhankhar himself would help dispel speculation, unease, and unanswered questions that continue to surround his unprecedented resignation.
"The CPI Parliamentary Party underlines that this appeal is made in utmost sincerity, with due regard for the dignity of the high constitutional office Dhankhar held, and in the interest of transparency and accountability in public life," Kumar added.
The Telegraph Online had reported in April this year how Dhankhar’s absence from the tarmac of Palam airport as US Vice President J.D. Vance touched down in India and Dhankhar not hosting the state dinner in his counterpart’s honour had fuelled speculation in Delhi.
Dhankhar’s silence since his resignation has led to speculation that strained ties with the ruling party might have contributed to his decision to keep away from the public eye.
Dhankhar’s last public communication was a post at 9:25pm on July 21, when he shared his resignation letter to the President on X.
While whispers about his absence circulated in Parliament corridors, a month on, the Opposition’s demand for clarity has been growing louder.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said on August 11: “Where is Jagdeep Dhankhar right now? He’s missing. They accepted his resignation, but where is he? He said he resigned due to health reasons, but which hospital is he admitted to? Or did the BJP perform an operation on him? BJP has made Jagdeep Dhankhar disappear.”
Earlier the same day, party MP Sanjay Raut wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking details. He pointed out that some Rajya Sabha members had tried to contact Dhankhar without success.
Calling it a matter of “grave concern,” Raut said: “What exactly has happened to our Vice-President? Where is he? How is his health? Is he safe?”
Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal also took to X on August 9: “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!”
Sources said the urban development ministry has reserved a Type-8 bungalow for Dhankhar on 34, APJ Abdul Kalam Road, though he is yet to apply for the official accommodation which he is entitled to.
The BJP has announced Maharashtra governor and RSS loyalist C.P. Radhakrishnan as the NDA nominee for vice-president. The election will be held on September 9.