NEW DELHI: Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday that the functioning of democracy in the country complies with constitutional principles aimed at ensuring equal rights and justice for all citizens and does not require validation from external agencies.
He made this claim by publishing the English and Hindi versions of books titled “Democracy, Politics and Governance” written by the former president of Prasar Bharati, A Surya Prakash, who is now vice-president of the executive board of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
Naidu’s defense of Indian democracy comes against the backdrop of recent unfavorable reports on its functioning by some Western and American agencies.
The Vice President asserted that India is the most secular country in the world.
“We see a tendency, especially in the Western media, to demean India and the government. They present India in a bad light. They cannot digest the fact that India is on the move. India is recognized and respected. again all over the world. They are trying to portray India in a negative sense. They do not digest our eminence, ”he said.
Naidu stressed that being a citizen of India is to adhere to the spirit and philosophy of the Constitution, which aims to promote brotherhood among all citizens on an equal footing.
“They (the Western media) denigrate our country on freedom of speech, freedom of the press and also on the issue of secularism. India, according to my own study, is the most secular country in the world. , whatever their sex, caste, creed or religion, everyone is respected, except for a few cases here and there. Secularism is in the blood, the nerves and the veins of the Indians, whatever the government “, a he declared.
Naidu said that “sarva dharma sambhava” (respecting all religions) is an age-old practice in India and “sarva jana sukhino bhavantu”, “vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, “sharing and caring” are at the heart of Indian philosophy.
“We are the largest parliamentary democracy. We have had democracy for ages in our system. We believe in peaceful coexistence. There is so much freedom of speech that you can even attack the Prime Minister. I don’t think so. not that there is a parallel to that, “he said.
Speaking about the role of the media, the vice president stressed the need for thorough research by journalists and to keep “news and opinions separate”.
He praised Prakash for presenting effective evidence-based counter-narratives in this regard and for advancing this cause through his writings for the past 30 years. The vice president also praised Prakash for upholding these standards throughout his 50-year career in the media and as a commentator.
Union ministers Pralhad Joshi, Anurag Thakur, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Thuglak editor-in-chief S Gurumurthy were present on the occasion.
(With contributions from the Agency.)
He made this claim by publishing the English and Hindi versions of books titled “Democracy, Politics and Governance” written by the former president of Prasar Bharati, A Surya Prakash, who is now vice-president of the executive board of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
Naidu’s defense of Indian democracy comes against the backdrop of recent unfavorable reports on its functioning by some Western and American agencies.
The Vice President asserted that India is the most secular country in the world.
“We see a tendency, especially in the Western media, to demean India and the government. They present India in a bad light. They cannot digest the fact that India is on the move. India is recognized and respected. again all over the world. They are trying to portray India in a negative sense. They do not digest our eminence, ”he said.
Naidu stressed that being a citizen of India is to adhere to the spirit and philosophy of the Constitution, which aims to promote brotherhood among all citizens on an equal footing.
“They (the Western media) denigrate our country on freedom of speech, freedom of the press and also on the issue of secularism. India, according to my own study, is the most secular country in the world. , whatever their sex, caste, creed or religion, everyone is respected, except for a few cases here and there. Secularism is in the blood, the nerves and the veins of the Indians, whatever the government “, a he declared.
Naidu said that “sarva dharma sambhava” (respecting all religions) is an age-old practice in India and “sarva jana sukhino bhavantu”, “vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, “sharing and caring” are at the heart of Indian philosophy.
“We are the largest parliamentary democracy. We have had democracy for ages in our system. We believe in peaceful coexistence. There is so much freedom of speech that you can even attack the Prime Minister. I don’t think so. not that there is a parallel to that, “he said.
Speaking about the role of the media, the vice president stressed the need for thorough research by journalists and to keep “news and opinions separate”.
He praised Prakash for presenting effective evidence-based counter-narratives in this regard and for advancing this cause through his writings for the past 30 years. The vice president also praised Prakash for upholding these standards throughout his 50-year career in the media and as a commentator.
Union ministers Pralhad Joshi, Anurag Thakur, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Thuglak editor-in-chief S Gurumurthy were present on the occasion.
(With contributions from the Agency.)
