Nainital: An emotionally charged moment at Kumaon University’s golden jubilee celebrations took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s health suddenly deteriorated, prompting immediate medical attention. He was on a three-day official visit to Uttarakhand.
Earlier in the day, Vice President Dhankhar landed at the Haldwani Army Helipad, where he was received with full protocol by Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (retd). On behalf of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya, MP Ajay Bhatt, Haldwani Mayor Gajraj Bisht, and several high-ranking officials including Commissioner Kumaon Deepak Rawat, IG Riddhim Aggarwal, and District Magistrate Vandana extended a warm welcome.
Dhankhar was invited as the chief guest at Kumaon University’s golden jubilee ceremony
Dhankhar was invited as the chief guest at Kumaon University’s golden jubilee ceremony in Nainital. Addressing the gathering, he delivered a heartfelt 45-minute speech where he fondly recalled his parliamentary tenure in 1989 and paid special tribute to Dr. Mahendra Singh Pal, a former Member of Parliament and close colleague from those days. Dr. Pal, present at the event, was mentioned multiple times during the address, drawing the attention of the audience to the deep camaraderie between the two.
Vice President Dhankhar was overcome with emotion and began crying as he hugged his old friend
The most poignant moment unfolded after the program concluded. The Vice President stepped down from the stage to personally greet Dr. Pal. The two embraced warmly and reminisced about their time in Parliament. Moved by the reunion, Dr. Pal became emotional and broke into tears. Witnesses noted that Vice President Dhankhar too was overcome with emotion and began crying as he hugged his old friend.
Suddenly, Dhankhar’s health took a downturn. He appeared faint and reportedly collapsed briefly during the interaction. The medical team stationed at the venue acted swiftly, administering immediate first aid. Sources confirmed that he was stabilized and then escorted to Raj Bhavan in Nainital along with Governor Gurmeet Singh.
Though no official medical bulletin was issued as of Wednesday evening, close aides suggested that fatigue and emotional strain could have contributed to the sudden incident. His scheduled engagements for the remainder of the day were put on hold as a precautionary measure.
