Delivering the keynote address at the launch of senior RSS leader Dr Manmohan Vaidya’s book Hum Aur Yeh Vishwa, he said, “I cannot skip my duty for catching the flight, friends. My recent past is proof of it,” when a man approached him during the event to remind him of his return flight to Delhi.
File Photo: IANS
In his first public address since his surprise resignation as the country’s vice-president, Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday lavished praise on the RSS, an organisation with which he has no formal past, and made a cryptic warning about dangers of being trapped in narratives—a “chakravyuh” that is difficult to escape.
Delivering the keynote address at the launch of senior RSS leader Dr Manmohan Vaidya’s book Hum Aur Yeh Vishwa, he said, “I cannot skip my duty for catching the flight, friends. My recent past is proof of it,” when a man approached him during the event to remind him of his return flight to Delhi.
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Dhankhar also remarked, “We live in an age where perception dictates everything, no matter how much you deny it. We are in the era of information warfare; god forbid anyone gets caught in the trap of narrative. Once one gets caught in this chakravyuh, it is very difficult to get out. I’m not citing my own example.”
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Dhankhar praised the RSS for its works for humanity and global welfare.
“This book is an eye-opener and dismantles the long propaganda and continuously propagated myths portraying the RSS as ultra-right and anti-minority. They have even gone to the extent of linking it to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The untenability of all this now stands fully exposed, but they are still sticking to it,” he said.
Last seen at the swearing-in ceremony of CP Radhakrishnan as the new vice-president, Dhankhar being invited as key speaker at the book launch of the sahsarkaryawah of the RSS raised instant interest. Dhankhar announced his participation at the event via a post on X — a social media platform he appears to have joined only this November.
The post drew immediate attention because it marked his first public engagement since his unexpected resignation on July 21, which he attributed to health concerns.
His abrupt exit triggered intense speculation in Delhi’s political circles with opposition taking on the BJP on his sudden absence from public life.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday again took a swipe at the BJP after no leader from the ruling party received Dhankhar at the airport, claiming the party follows a “use-and-throw” policy.
Dhankhar’s words set off speculation about his future, with some reading it as some “signal” by the RSS to its political arm, and others as an attempt to reaffirm relevance within the ruling ecosystem. Senior leaders, however, insisted that too much not be read into it.
“Dhankhar was invited as a respected constitutional figure, not because of any other reason. He is an eloquent speaker, and his prior engagement with issues of national narrative made him an apt choice to launch a book aimed at debunking myths about the Sangh and discussing India’s civilisational perspective.
Dhankhar’s participation underscores the importance of plural voices,” they added, calling his presence “inspirational” for those even without RSS links.
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