Like in China, are leaders disappearing in India too?: Raut questions Dhankhar's whereabouts

Mumbai: Expressing concern over Jagdeep Dhankhar remaining incommunicado since he resigned as the Vice President, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Sunday sought to compare the issue with “disappearance” of leaders in China and Russia.

“Leaders disappearing in China and Russia is a (common) thing…has it also started in India by these people,” the politician said without naming anyone.

Raut's statement comes close on the heels of the former union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal raising questions on the whereabouts of Dhankhar, who resigned abruptly as the Vice President and has remained unreachable since then.

Raut also backed the suggestions of Sibal, a Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP, about filing a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court.

“Where is Jagdeep Dhankhar now….since 6 pm on July 21 when he resigned till now, as we speak, there is no information about him,” asked Raut, a four-time Rajya Sabha member in his weekly column RokhThok in Saamana and during his interaction with reporters in Mumbai.

“In fact, on July 21, we all met him in Rajya Sabha, he is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha…we even had a discussion with him…he gave some instructions…thereafter the House was adjourned…he was okay, he even joked…in the evening we came to know that he has resigned on health grounds,” Raut told reporters.

“From July 21 till now, where is he? What is his health condition? What is he doing? Who is he with? Where is he staying? Is he fine? Is he really there? Has he disappeared somewhere? Such doubts are coming to our mind. No one can say where Jagdeep Dhankhar has gone. If the Vice President of the country has disappeared like this and no one knows his whereabouts, it is a matter of concern for the country's democracy,” said Raut expressing concern.

Raut also said that when Thackeray visited New Delhi, Sibal had called on him and that the concern over Dhankhar was discussed.

"If the Vice President of the country has disappeared like this and no one had an idea about him, it is a matter of concern for the country's democracy… if this kind of practice has started in India, then Rahul Gandhi and his associates should remain alert,” Raut warned.