Jagdeep Dhankhar abruptly resigned as the Vice President on the very first day of the Monsoon session. Although different people said different things, his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu mentioned “health concerns”. Since then, the former VP has largely stayed away from the public eye, reportedly not responding to calls or messages.
‘Big story behind his exit’: Rahul Gandhi
When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was introducing the INDIA bloc’s V-P pick, B Sudershan Reddy, he suggested that there is more than meets the eye.
“There is a big story about why he (Dhankhar) resigned… And then there’s a story about why he is in hiding… Suddenly, the person who used to burst forth in the Rajya Sabha has gone… completely silent,” Rahul Gandhi had said.
‘Don’t stretch his resignation’: Amit Shah
Just yesterday, when ANI’s Smita Prakash asked Home Minister Amit Shah about Dhankhar’s resignation, he reiterated that he resigned following a health scare and that people should not “stretch” it. He put an end to “house arrest” speculations, too.
“Dhankhar was sitting in a Constitutional post and, during his tenure, he did good work according to the Constitution,” HM Amit Shah said.
He added, “He has resigned due to personal health problems. One should not try to stretch it too much and find something.”
‘Netflix, yoga and table tennis’
According to a report by The Indian Express, the former V-P has limited himself to his Delhi residence, where his daughter Kamna Vajpayee visits him almost every day from Gurugram.
Dhankhar is said to be following a quiet routine at home, spending most of his time watching OTT, playing indoor games and doing Yoga. He starts his mornings by doing yoga with his yoga teacher and mostly plays table tennis in the sports complex attached to the Vice President’s enclave in the evening. He is also catching up on OTT shows.
An aide said that he has been watching The Lincoln Lawyer and House of Cards these days.
Wife’s frequent Jaipur visits
His wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, has been frequently visiting Rajasthan. She visited the northwestern state’s Jaipur twice. The last time it was almost a week ago for Havan in an under-construction building. But why? Well, the family is building two commercial complexes on their ancestral land near Jaipur Airport. Both buildings are intended for rentals.
The land, which earlier had a board “Kamna Farmhouse”, is 15 minutes away from Jaipur Airport.
Next to this is an eight-storey building, the construction of which began two years ago. The person who claims to be the site manager told IE, “We have given the building on rent. We will have offices here. The second building, too, will be given to one firm.”
Documents show that the buildings were approved by Jaipur Development Authority, with one spanning 3,668 sq m in April 2023 and another 3,693 sq m plot in February last year. Both buildings are owned by Sudesh and their daughter Kamna.
A tea seller, who sits opposite the building, appears to confirm this, saying that Sudesh now travels in private cars instead of the Vice-Presidential cavalcade. “Earlier, a huge cavalcade would come for these VIP visits. However, the number of vehicles has declined since Dhankhar’s resignation.”
Dhankhar’s staff in Delhi further told the outlet that they have been waiting for the bungalow to be allotted, which he is entitled to as a former V-P. They are reportedly on standby and have already started packing their stuff.