Why no BJP leader visited Dhankhar to enquire about his health: Akhilesh

New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday questioned why no BJP leader visited Jagdeep Dhankhar to enquire about his health after he resigned as Vice President citing health reasons.

He was speaking at 'MP Veerendra Kumar Memorial Seminar' on 'Challenges faced by democracy' where he paid tributes to the socialist leader, and stressed that socialism, secularism, and democracy are complementary to each other.

Referring to Dhankhar's sudden resignation on Monday night, Yadav said something's amiss.

"Our popular vice president resigned citing health concerns, but none of the BJP leaders visited him to enquire about his health," Yadav said.

"We are remembering Veerendra Kumar, and discussing democracy. A person on a top post had to resign citing health concerns, and BJP leaders are not even enquiring about his health... Daal me kuchh kala hai (There is something wrong)," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Yadav, who is a member of Lok Sabha, said socialism, secularism and democracy are complementary to each other. "If all three are not together, democracy comes under threat. If we are not secular, democracy comes under attack," he said.

He also questioned why Dhankhar was not even given a farewell.

Speaking at the same event, Congress leader and former Union minister KV Thomas recalled that he had met Dhankhar a day ago. "I read in the newspaper it (resignation) is because of a health problem, but it's because of political health," she added.

In his address, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav also wondered about the reason behind Dhankhar's resignation.

"This is the first time a vice-president resigned citing health reasons... So, till 4.00 or 4.30 in the evening, he was fully operational, fulfilling his constitutional duties and obligations..." Yadav said.

He said democracy in India is facing a multitude of challenges, including economic and social disparity, and inequalities like poverty, gender discrimination, as well as issues like communalism, casteism and corruption.

"Democracy is all about the work of building institutions and the people who run it, away from cameras, headlines and hashtags," he said.

He also questioned the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out by the Election Commission in Bihar.

"What is being experimented in Bihar right now in the name of special intensive revision, sooner or later, the same exercise is going to take place in every state or across India," he said.

"What is the motive of SIR? Elections are just a few days away, not months," he said. PTI AO RT RT RT