Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has launched a new critique of Rajya Sabha MP and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. At an event held at AIIMS Rishikesh, Dhankhar condemned what he described as the “selective silence” of NGOs and Sibal’s comments on the incident.
Dhankhar remarked that the attack on the doctor had deeply shamed humanity and criticized the trivializing remarks made by Sibal, who is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Sibal’s comments, which referred to the Kolkata incident as a “symptomatic malaise,” were interpreted by Dhankhar as diminishing the gravity of the crime.
Dhankhar emphasized that such incidents reflect a broader societal failure and said that dismissive comments only exacerbate the pain and suffering. “When humanity is already in disgrace, adding insensitive remarks only deepens the wound,” he said. He further condemned any attempt to frame the situation through a political lens, urging those involved to reconsider their stance and apologize publicly.
The Vice-President also highlighted the critical need for the safety and respect of medical professionals, stating that while doctors strive to provide care, they are not infallible and should not face harm or neglect.
Additionally, Dhankhar took NGOs to task for their “selective silence,” suggesting that their lack of response to the incident was more damaging than the crime itself. He called for a unified, non-partisan approach to address such issues, urging all democratic stakeholders to come together to address the situation.
Previously, President Droupadi Murmu had expressed her distress over the increasing violence against women, calling for a societal awakening and a change in the mindset that undermines women’s dignity and capabilities.
