Sibal hits back at Dhankhar as row over 'symptomatic malaise' remark escalates

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday fired back at Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar for criticising him over a purported SCBA resolution in which the senior lawyer reportedly described the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata as a “symptomatic malaise”.

Sibal said in a post on X, “Times of India (Report); Rapes (2017 to 2022). Out of 1,551 cases of rape/gangrape followed by murder. Uttar Pradesh reported maximum cases (280) followed by Madhya Pradesh (207), Assam (205), Maharashtra (155) and Karnataka (79). Dhankar ji: Seen this? Why West Bengal missing? No malaise?” Dhankhar has slammed Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Sibal for stating in a purported resolution that the tragic incident at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was a “symptomatic malaise” and suggesting that such incidents were commonplace.

“I am appalled; I am pained and somewhat surprised that someone holding a position in the Supreme Court Bar, a Member of Parliament, acting in a manner and what does he say? A symptomatic malaise and suggested that such incidents are commonplace? What a shame! Words fail me in condemning such a stance. It is doing greatest injustice to the high position,” the vice-president said while addressing students at Delhi University’s Bharti College during an event on August 30.

Lamenting the use of the term “symptomatic malaise” by some “stray voices”, Dhankhar — at another event in Dehradun on Saturday — said such statements “aggravate our excruciating pain and add salt to our injured conscience”.

“When humanity has been shamed, there are some stray voices, voices that cause concern. They only aggravate our excruciating pain. To put it mildly, they are adding salt to our injured conscience and what do they say ‘it is a symptomatic malaise, a frequent incident’,” the vice-president had said.

“When it comes from someone who is a member of Parliament, a senior advocate, then the culpability is of an extreme degree. There can be no alibi for such kind of demonising thoughts. I call upon such misguided souls to revisit their thoughts and publicly tender an apology,” he had said.