Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down as the vice president last month in a surprise move, is spending time with his family, as well as playing table tennis and practising yoga, PTI reported on Friday, citing people in the know of his routine.
Dhankhar resigned as the vice president on July 21, the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament. In his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said he is stepping down with immediate effect due to health concerns. He has not been seen in public since then.
People in the know of his routine said he regularly practises yoga and plays table tennis with his well-wishers and staff members at the vice president's enclave.
Also Read | PM Modi appeals to Opposition support for CP Radhakrishnan as vice president
"Even after returning from tours, he used to play table tennis with his staff members," a person aware of his routine said, according to PTI.
Earlier on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi recalled hearing about Jagdeep Dhankhar stepping down as Vice President a and alleged there was a big story behind the move, and why the leader "was hiding".
{{/usCountry}}Earlier on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi recalled hearing about Jagdeep Dhankhar stepping down as Vice President a and alleged there was a big story behind the move, and why the leader "was hiding".
{{/usCountry}}“Suddenly, the person (referring to Dhankhar) who used to burst forth in the Rajya Sabha has gone silent, completely silent. So this is the time we're living in,” he said.
Vice presidential election
Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post of Vice President last month “to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice", triggering several theories behind the move.
Some people familiar with the matter had said at the time that Dhankhar had asked some Opposition leaders to give a notice for the impeachment of justice Yashwant Varma, caught at the centre of the cash-at-home row, in the Rajya Sabha, even as the Centre wanted to bring the notice to only be brought in the Lok Sabha.
Dhankhar, 74, had been holding the post of Vice President since 2022 and his tenure was scheduled to end in 2027.
After the post fell vacant following Dhankhar's resignation, Vice President polls were announced to be held on September 9. Both, the NDA-led government, and the Opposition, has named candidates for the elections. While CP Radhakrishnan, the governor of Maharashtra, is the NDA's pick, former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy will be the Opposition’s candidate for the vice-presidential election.