August 22, 2025

NEW DELHI: In a dramatic dash of words, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday stirred the pot asking, “where has the old VP gone?” He was referring to Jagdeep Dhankhar, the former Vice President of India, who has been mysteriously silent since his shock resignation a month ago. At a lively gathering of opposition MPs cheering their Vice Presidential candidate B Sudershan Reddy, Rahul joked, “the search for Dhankhar has become like those Agatha Christie books.” He hinted there’s more to Dhankhar’s resignation, saying, "Why is the (former) VP of India in a situation where he cannot say a word, one word, and has to hide... everybody knows it.... 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." Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge fired a bold volley, framing the battle between Reddy and BJP’s nominee CP Radhakrishnan as a clash of big ideas: "Constitution vs RSS." He stressed, "It is an ideological battle for the soul of our nation. While the ruling party has chosen the ideology of RSS, we uphold the Constitution as our guiding light." Kharge also pointed to how Reddy’s nomination promises a return to fairness in the Rajya Sabha, hinting at past troubles when Dhankhar was the chairman. Reddy himself brought in a thoughtful quote from Lohia: “Jab Sadak Khamosh Hain, Sadan Aawara Banti Hain” (When streets are silent, the parliament becomes wayward). He praised Rahul Gandhi, saying the MP “does not allow the streets to stay silent.” In a touching moment, Rahul shared, "I happened to look inside his (Reddy’s) pocket, and to my surprise, he had a copy of the Constitution of India. He carries it everywhere. He mentioned that he has been carrying the copy for 52 years." Amid this fiery debate, Kharge also took a dig at the Modi government’s recent bill that threatens to unseat ministers jailed for 30 days. He warned it is a tactic to shake state governments, especially after 11 years of what he calls “blatant misuse” of power to target opposition leaders. Adding strategic firepower, Congress leader KC Venugopal announced the opposition’s plan to hold a mock polling on September 8 to train MPs for the actual Vice Presidential vote. Stay tuned as this thrilling political drama unfolds in the corridors of power, highlighting a bigger battle for India’s constitutional soul!

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Tags: Rahul gandhi, Jagdeep dhankhar, Vice presidential election, B sudershan reddy, Opposition, Parliament,