VP Dhankhar ends speculation, attends swearing-in ceremony after 52 days
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan took the oath of office and secrecy as the 15th Vice President of the country on Friday. President Draupadi Murmu administered the oath to him in a grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. But during this entire program, more than the swearing-in, the topic of discussion was the presence of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who appeared in a public event for the first time 52 days after his resignation.
67-year-old CP Radhakrishnan took oath in English in the name of God at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning. He defeated joint opposition candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy by 152 votes in the recently held Vice Presidential election. Many senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President JP Nadda were present on this important occasion.
The biggest attraction of the program was former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. This was his first public appearance after suddenly resigning on July 21 citing health reasons. He was sitting close to the new Vice President CP Radhakrishnan in the first row of guests and was seen smiling and clapping throughout the program. His presence put an end to all the speculations and political questions about his absence for the last almost two months.
It is worth noting that all the opposition parties including Congress were constantly raising questions on Jagdeep Dhankhar's 52-day silence and distance from public life. Leaders like Congress leader Sachin Pilot, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien had asked the government where is former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar? The opposition had also raised many apprehensions about his "unusual silence".
After the resignation, Dhankhar wrote a letter to his successor congratulating him, which was his first public statement. He wrote in the letter that Radhakrishnan's vast experience in public life will further enhance the dignity of the post of Vice President.