Is Jagdeep Dhankhar really under ‘house arrest’? Amit Shah replies

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday cleared the air on former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation, saying he stepped down citing health reasons and that the Opposition should not make a fuss out of this.

“Dhankhar Sahab’s resignation letter is clear in itself. He has cited health reasons for his resignation. He has also expressed heartfelt gratitude towards the Prime Minister and other ministers and government members for his good tenure,” Shah said in an interview with a news agency.

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When asked about the claims by some Opposition leaders that Dhankhar has been placed under “house arrest”, Shah told ANI that the interpretation of truth and lies should not be based on what the Opposition says.

“It seems like your interpretation of truth and lies is based on what the Opposition has to say. We shouldn’t make a fuss out of all this. Dhankhar held a constitutional post and discharged his duties as per the Constitution. He resigned due to personal health reasons. One should not deliberate much on the issue,” the Home Minister added.

His remarks came amid intense speculation about Dhankhar’s whereabouts following his resignation. The former vice president, whose sudden resignation surprised many, has not been seen or heard since he announced his decision to step down.

While Dhankhar had cited poor health as the reason behind his resignation, the Opposition Congress claimed there was more to this than what meets the eye.

Several media houses reported that Dhankhar was forced to resign as the government was miffed with his decision to accept an opposition motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma.

Recently, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had claimed that there was a story behind Dhankhar stepping down from his post.

The Congress leader also asked why the former vice president is in a situation where he can’t speak a word and has to hide.

“There is a big story about why he resigned. Some of you might know it, and some of you might not know it. But there is a story behind it. And then there is a story about why he is in hiding. Why the (former) vice president of India is in a situation where he cannot say a word, one word, and has to hide… everybody knows it,” he added.