The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today appealed to citizens to launch a Jan Andolan to ensure that all representatives of the people engage earnestly in the task that the Constitution has obligated them to perform.

Expressing concern that the “Temples of Democracy are being virtually ravaged”, the Vice-President cautioned citizens that unless these spaces are protected as platforms of discussion, dialogue and debate, they are likely to be occupied by forces that are neither representative nor accountable to the people of the nation

Citing the example of the Constituent Assembly as a model to emulate, the Vice-President emphasized that dissent cannot be converted into protests, with dialogue and discussion being forsaken for disruption and disturbance. “The Constituent Assembly faced divisive and contentious issues, but these were always sorted out in a spirit of coordination, cooperation and collaboration,” he said.

Addressing the centenary celebration of the Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University in Nagpur today, the Vice-President stressed that economic nationalism cannot be compromised on fiscal considerations. “Trade, industry and business have to be extremely sensitive to this. This can only be achieved by citizens awakening themselves to the importance of economic nationalism,” he urged.

Stressing that the reckless use of natural resources cannot be permitted, the Vice-President reminded citizens that no one had the right to use energy or water resources by virtue of their financial capacity. “Ensuring optimum utilization of these resources is our bounden duty,” he underlined.

Highlighting the prestige, reputation and standing that India has earned on the world stage, the Vice-President underscored that no individual should be allowed, “untenably and irrationally, to taint, tarnish and demean Constitutional institutions.” He called upon citizens to neutralize such anti-India narratives for these are antithetical to the interests of the nation.

Impressing upon students the importance of keeping an open mind towards diverging viewpoints, the Vice-President urged them to “be slow to judge and quick to understand”. “When you learn to appreciate the stand of others, you will be wiser,” he said. Encouraging ‘Warriors of 2047’ to give space to their talent, he advised them to “think critically, read widely, adapt consistently and widen horizons steadily” in their chosen paths.

The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Ramesh Bais, Union Minister for Highways and Road Transport, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Vice-Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Dr. Subhash Chaudhari and other dignitaries were also present at the event.