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by Suryaa |
Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar made his first public appearance on Friday since stepping down from office in July. He attended the swearing-in ceremony of his successor, CP Radhakrishnan, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Dhankhar resigned suddenly on July 21 citing health concerns and has kept a low profile since then. His absence from public life had sparked questions from the Opposition, with parties like the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and CPI demanding clarity on his resignation. During the monsoon session of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi even asked, “Where has the old VP gone?”
At Friday’s ceremony in the Durbar Hall, Dhankhar was seated in the front row alongside his predecessor Venkaiah Naidu, with Hamid Ansari, another former Vice President, seated nearby. Dhankhar was seen chatting with Naidu during the event. His wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, was also present.
The highlight of the ceremony was CP Radhakrishnan’s oath-taking as the 15th Vice President of India. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath, which Radhakrishnan took in English while wearing a red kurta.
The 67-year-old BJP leader had won the election earlier this week with a comfortable margin of 152 votes, defeating opposition nominee B Sudershan Reddy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president JP Nadda, and several senior leaders attended the programme.
The event not only marked the beginning of Radhakrishnan’s term but also drew attention to Dhankhar’s return to the public eye after nearly two months of silence.
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