JAIPUR: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said India is the only country in the world that has constitutional democracy prevailing from the parliament to the grassroots level and decried Indians who claim during visits abroad that the nation does not have a vibrant democracy.
Speaking at an interaction with students at Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur on the subject of ‘New Education Policy and nation-building,’ he said, “Some people talk nonsense when they say that India is not a vibrant democracy. Such remarks are a matter of pain for all of us. India is the only country in the world that has constitutional democracy at the village, panchayat, zila parishad, state legislatures, and of course at the parliament level.”
Dhankhar’s statements are seen in the backdrop of statements on Indian democracy that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made during his visits to the UK and the US in March and June respectively.
Even though the event at MNIT was meant to be an interactive session with students, the Vice-President did not take any questions from the students and instead asked them to send him their queries, promising he would respond soon. This left the students disappointed. However, his speech was full of advice for students.
Challenging the claims by some sections that there is no freedom of speech in India, Dhankhar argued that as Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, he can say that everyone has full freedom. “India has a functional democracy. Can you think of a more vibrant democracy than India? No other country has such a seamless constitutional transfer of power. We believe in our institutions,” said VP.
He urged the youths to use social media platforms to examine and ensure the implementation of the law. “If someone damages or burns public property, and it appears on video or audio, but still there is no action on it, the young minds must question the non-implementation of law and use social media to raise their voices and concerns,” said Dhankhar.
He claimed that India would be in the top three economies of the world by the turn of this decade and urged students to make the most of the abundant opportunities lying in store for them. “India’s rise is unstoppable. By 2047, we may not be around, but you (students) all will be in key positions to see India as the number one economy,” said Dhankhar.
Speaking at an interaction with students at Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur on the subject of ‘New Education Policy and nation-building,’ he said, “Some people talk nonsense when they say that India is not a vibrant democracy. Such remarks are a matter of pain for all of us. India is the only country in the world that has constitutional democracy at the village, panchayat, zila parishad, state legislatures, and of course at the parliament level.”
Dhankhar’s statements are seen in the backdrop of statements on Indian democracy that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made during his visits to the UK and the US in March and June respectively.
Even though the event at MNIT was meant to be an interactive session with students, the Vice-President did not take any questions from the students and instead asked them to send him their queries, promising he would respond soon. This left the students disappointed. However, his speech was full of advice for students.
Challenging the claims by some sections that there is no freedom of speech in India, Dhankhar argued that as Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, he can say that everyone has full freedom. “India has a functional democracy. Can you think of a more vibrant democracy than India? No other country has such a seamless constitutional transfer of power. We believe in our institutions,” said VP.
He urged the youths to use social media platforms to examine and ensure the implementation of the law. “If someone damages or burns public property, and it appears on video or audio, but still there is no action on it, the young minds must question the non-implementation of law and use social media to raise their voices and concerns,” said Dhankhar.
He claimed that India would be in the top three economies of the world by the turn of this decade and urged students to make the most of the abundant opportunities lying in store for them. “India’s rise is unstoppable. By 2047, we may not be around, but you (students) all will be in key positions to see India as the number one economy,” said Dhankhar.
