Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed alarm on Sunday about “incubators and distributors” of anti-India forces disseminating “pernicious narratives” at a time when the country was on the rise.
Dhankhar mirrored his predecessor Venkaiah Naidu, who spoke before him at the release of former Tamil Nadu governor P S Ramamohan Rao’s memoir ‘Governorpet to Governor’s House; A Hick’s Adventure’ in Delhi.
“As Sh. Venkaiah Naidu-ji put out, India is on the rise like never before, and the surge is inevitable…
Its ascent is fraught with internal and external hurdles. Here is when the intellectual and media figures enter the picture. “We must all be aware of the development of incubators and distributors of anti-India forces orchestrating harmful narratives to reduce our growth trajectory and taint our functional democracy and constitutional institutions,” added the Vice President.
He called on everyone to believe in the nation and nationalism and negate “such misadventures”. He went on to emphasise the significance of legal equality, emphasising that no one was above the law.
“In a democracy, everyone is held equally accountable to the law. No one can be given special treatment under the law; otherwise, democracy will perish… Unfortunately, some people believe they are unique and must be treated differently. Our democracy is the most dynamic and functional. We will never be able to negotiate equality. Compliance with the law is not voluntary. “Someone has to realise it,” he remarked.
Dhankhar’s remarks come as the BJP has been criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over remarks made during a recent trip to the United Kingdom.
Dhankhar returned to a topic he has spoken about several times since becoming Vice President: the interaction between the administration, the legislative, and the judiciary.
“In a democracy, governance dynamics will always be challenging, necessitating harmonious functioning of Constitutional institutions. There will always be issues with the legislative, the administration, and the judiciary, and there will never be a day when we can declare there will be no issues in the future. That is unavoidable in a changing culture. Those in charge of these institutions make no room for conflict or complaint. People in charge of the executive, legislature, or judiciary cannot be complacent or confrontational. “They must act collaboratively and find a solution together,” he said.
Instead of using their own platforms for communication with the other institution, he believes there is a need for an “organised system” for contact for those who lead the three organs of state.
Dhankhar said the connection between the bureaucracy and the political executive was becoming difficult, citing the author’s experience as an IPS officer prior to his term as governor.
“The steel frame, the bureaucracy has become so ingratiated with the political masters that the 1968 Rules that govern your conduct are frequently and completely violated,” he stated.
Earlier, Naidu stated that the world was watching India and warned against doing or doing anything that might jeopardise the country’s interests. “To insult our democracy is to disrespect our rich civilisation and lively traditions that have manifested themselves over the last 75 years,” he remarked. He went on to say that democracy held firm during the Emergency. “Political disputes must not be used to denigrate India,” he stressed.
