'Heard of Laapataa Ladies not of laapataa VP': Sibal asks about Dhankhar's whereabouts

New Delhi: Former law minister and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday said he had heard of the movie "Laapataa Ladies" but never heard of a "laapataa (absent) vice president", as he raised questions about the whereabouts of former VP Jagdeep Dhankhar. Sibal urged Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement on the whereabouts of Dhankhar to assuage concerns about his health and well-being. In a sudden and surprise move, Dhankhar resigned as vice president on July 21, the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, citing health reasons. But opposition leaders have claimed that he was forced to resign. "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," Sibal said.

The independent MP said several of his political colleagues also have not been able to get through to him. "So, I have heard of 'Laapataa Ladies' but I have never heard of 'laapataa vice president'," Sibal said while referencing the Kiran Rao directorial, which was India's official entry to the Oscars. Dhankhar was the vice president and he supported the government throughout his tenure, but it now seems the opposition will have to protect him, Sibal said, taking a swipe at the government. "What should we do? Should we file a habeas corpus?" he said. The home ministry would be aware of his whereabouts and Amit Shah should give a statement on where he is, because even his health was not good, Sibal said. "So, is he getting treatment done somewhere? People of his family have also not said anything. What is the issue? We had heard of such things only in other countries but India is democratic so such things should be in the public domain," he said. "I had very good personal relations with him (Dhankhar). He was a lawyer with me who argued many cases. I am concerned. It does not look nice that I go and file an FIR. There is no news from him, from his friends, family," the former Union minister said. "I would like to urge the home minister, you have such resources, you send back Bangladeshis, he was, after all, our vice president, so you would know, so please give a statement on it (his whereabouts)," the senior advocate said.

In a post on X, he asked, "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!" he wrote. There is time to go before the vice presidential election in September, Sibal said, adding "we can meet him before that". "So, we have to find out if he is healthy. Nothing of this has ever happened in India's history." In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post last month, citing medical reasons. He sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect. Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and his tenure was till 2027. He was also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation came on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament. Dhankhar had recently undergone angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. In his eventful tenure as the Rajya Sabha chairman, Dhankhar had several run-ins with the opposition, which had also moved a motion to impeach him. The motion, the first time ever in independent India to remove a vice president, was later rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.