Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday exhorted the youth and Gen Z to adopt economic nationalism and keep the nation first, calling them the driving force behind politics, economy, growth, and social harmony.

“You are the driving force behind politics and economy, social harmony and growth. I would therefore urge you to kindly set your targets because you are in a Bharat that is performing admirably in the sea, on land, in the sky and in space,” said VP Dhankhar while delivering the Chief Guest’s address at the culmination of Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Maharaja Agrasen Technical Education Society (MATES) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Exhorting the youth and Gen-Z to adopt economic nationalism and keep the nation first, he said, “I would urge you, whatever choice you make, believe in your nation, believe in your nationalism.” “This is greatly of your concern because our economic nationalism is getting compromised because some people care more about fiscal gain. No fiscal gain can justify the compromise of economic nationalism,” he said.

Stressing the need to develop entrepreneurial skills, VP Dhankhar said, “Look at our imports in billions that are avoidable. You are the category, young boys and girls, along with Gen-Z, to find a solution. You can take a resolve, we will cut down avoidable imports because of our entrepreneurship. It will have an immediate impact. We will save billions in foreign exchange.” “Our people will get work here in thousands and lakhs. I would therefore urge, when you think of the economy, to think of Swadeshi. Swadeshi should be our basic mantra,” said Dhankhar. Underlining the importance of the faculty members over the infrastructure in any institution, Dhankhar said, “An institution is defined by faculty more than the infrastructure. Infrastructure is the need of the society, the need of the institution but faculty is its fragrance.”

Reflecting on the need to focus on duties as a citizen along with rights, he said, “We are very conscious of our rights, but every right is qualified by your duty.” “Just as the nation’s interest is above political and personal interests, similarly, your every right, your fundamental right, is superseded by your responsibility. It is your civic duty. Duties must always take precedence over rights,” he said. Asking the youth to help build a tolerant society, he said: “I urge all of you, be receptive, be tolerant; that will always be rewarding. And in every action, ask yourself, how can I increase social harmony? At the end of the day, we are not robots to promote the economy. We are human beings. We are part of a nation that is a 5,000-year-old civilization.” “Tolerance is a virtue. It is deeply embedded in the ethos of our civilisation. It is the premise of harmony and inclusivity in society. It is an inalienable facet of social harmony,” he said.

–IANS

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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said that the judiciary is the most important organ of our country, and there is no place for the word ‘subordinate’ in it. Dhankhar added that no court is subordinate, and this should be changed. Speaking at the Inauguration Ceremony of the AIR Library for Advocates at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, the Vice President said, “When a magistrate or a district judge writes a judgment, there is a doubt in their mind as to what will be the comment on their decision. That decision determines his future.”

Dhankhar suggested that industrialists and corporate groups should also assist in projects in the judiciary on the lines of assistance provided to other institutions. He said that companies have CSR funds and they should invest in local courts. Further, the Vice President described the changes made in the three penal codes as an important event that freed us from the colonial mindset.

He said, “The journey from ‘Dand Vidhan’ to ‘Nyaya Vidhan’ is a significant journey unshackling us from the colonial mindset and legacy. After implementation in July of this year, this is a boon to the young lawyers.”

“I had the good fortune to preside over the Council of States, the House of Elders, the Upper House when these three legislations were passed. A very powerful committee went into each and every provision, it was analysed at micro level,” the Vice President added.

Recalling his connection with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Dhankhar said that after he assumed the office of Vice President, the SCBA invited him, and he had been a member for quite a long time.

He said that if we want to make justice affordable and accessible, we must provide quality justice to the people and focus primarily on District Courts, Magistrates, District Judges, and young lawyers.

“We have to take care of young lawyers… we have to invest in them. There are good institutions for lawyers and law graduates in the country and it may happen that they may not survive. There should be a collective effort for this,” Dhankhar added.

–IANS

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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said that the country is moving towards Ram Rajya. While inaugurating the PMAY (Urban) flats at Ghoghla in Daman & Diu, the Vice President reflected on the profound influence of national leadership, stating, “Although there is a lot in a name, the name ‘Nar’ plus ‘Indra’, ‘Narendra’, has made everything possible.”

Commending the significant strides in housing development, Dhankhar stated that over 21,000 houses have been sanctioned and constructed in the region, under various government initiatives. He emphasized the remarkable transformation in the country, attributing this progress to the national leadership.

“The speciality here is that whatever gets sanctioned becomes possible. Why is everything becoming possible in the country? It is because the person making it possible is leading the country,” he said.

Acknowledging the profound changes witnessed in the last decade concerning the selection of recipients for some of the nation’s highest civilian honours, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Bharat Ratna awards, Dhakhar remarked, “A big change has come in the last 10 years. Now, the recipients of these prestigious awards are those who are truly deserving. People across the country now say that the awards are being given to the right individuals”. He further noted that this progress symbolises India’s journey towards “Ram Rajya”. “This reflects that the country is changing and moving towards Ram Rajya,” he said.

Highlighting India’s emergence as the centre of the biggest change of this century, Dhankhar stated, “Those who think big have made India the main centre of the world. There is no other country like India. I am not the one saying this — major global institutions are acknowledging this transformation. A massive change, one that was previously unimaginable, is unfolding.”

Emphasising transformative governance, Dhankhar pointed to the unprecedented developments in infrastructure and essential services across the country. “Did you ever imagine that, with the government’s help, such a powerful voice would rise, that every household would have access to electricity, gas connections, and toilets? And now, the Prime Minister has even initiated the solar energy system,” he said.

Recognizing the Government’s commitment to transforming lives through economic empowerment, he stated, “I request Prafullaji to organize a small camp here for Mudra loans. Once informed, people will realize the Government of India has a policy to empower them economically, enabling not only self-employment but also providing jobs to others.”

Underscoring that education is the centre of the biggest change today, Dhankhar urged everyone to prioritise their children’s education. “Education is the centre of the biggest change today. I request all of you to pay a lot of attention to your children’s education,” he said.

Emphasizing Bharat’s holistic progress across water, land, sky, and space, Vice President Dhankhar urged citizens to continuously reflect on their contributions to the nation’s advancement, stating, “We are moving towards Ram Rajya, and each of us can play a significant role in this journey.” Praful Patel, Administrator, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep, among other dignitaries, were also present.

–IANS

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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Sunday that reservation is the conscience of the Constitution and also questioned the mindset of people who denied Babasaheb Ambedkar the conferment of Bharat Ratna and the implementation of the Mandal Commission.

Criticising those who talk of ending reservation and think that it is against meritocracy, Vice President Dhankhar underlined: “Let me assure you, reservation is the conscience of the Constitution, reservation is in our Constitution with positivity, with great meaning to bring about social equality and to cut inequities. Reservation is affirmative action. It is not negative. Reservation is not depriving someone of opportunity. Reservation is hand holding those who are pillars and strength of society.”

Dhankhar said that a pattern of prejudice against reservation has been handed over and a person holding a constitutional position who is making serialised periodic ‘anti-India rants’ on foreign soil is talking about ending reservations. “The frontal attack on the democratic constitutional values must be rebuffed,” the Vice President said while speaking at the inauguration of Samvidhan Mandir (Constitution Temple) at Elphinstone Technical High School &Junior College in Mumbai.

Criticising the flaunting of the Constitution by some, Dhankhar said that: “Constitution is not to be flaunted like a book. The Constitution has to be respected. The Constitution has to be read. The Constitution has to be understood. Merely presenting the Constitution as a book, showcasing it – at least any civilised, knowledgeable person, someone with a devoted spirit towards the Constitution, and one who reveres the essence of the Constitution – will not accept it.”

Dhankhar stated: “It is a matter of concern, a subject for reflection, and a topic for deep contemplation! The same mindset that was anti-reservation, the pattern of prejudice against reservation that has been handed over. Today, a person sitting in a constitutional position says in abroad that reservations should be abolished.” “Why the true gem (Babasaheb Ambedkar) was not awarded Bharat Ratna. It was awarded on March 31, 1990. Why was this honour not given earlier? Baba Saheb was very well-known as the architect of the Constitution. Another significant issue related to Babasaheb’s mindset is the Mandal Commission report. After this report was presented, for the next ten years, and during that decade when the country had two Prime Ministers – Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi – not a single move was made regarding this report,” he added.

Dhankar said India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru, had an anti-reservation mindset. He quoted Nehru: “I do not like reservations in any form. Especially reservations about jobs. I am against any step that promotes inefficiency and takes us towards mediocrity.”

Asking the young generation to be mindful and aware of the 21 months of Emergency, the darkest period in the history of post-independent India, he remarked, “Never forget a particular day; always remember it. It is a black day, a stain on our history. June 25, 1975, is the darkest chapter of our journey post-independence, the darkest period of our democracy.” “We celebrate Constitution Day to remind ourselves how our Constitution was created, how it establishes our rights, how it empowers us, and how it creates a system where a person from an ordinary background can become Prime Minister, a farmer’s son can become Vice President, and a tribal woman of great calibre and elegance, who has seen all the shortcomings and ground realities, can become President,” he said.

Reflecting on the need for separation of power among different organs of the state and need for all the organs to work within their limitations thus avoid becoming trigger point of political inflammatory debate, Dhankhar stated: “All organs of the state – judiciary, legislature, and executive – have a single purpose: to ensure the success of the fundamental spirit of the Constitution, to guarantee all rights to the common people, and to help India prosper and flourish.”

–IANS

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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday expressed concern over certain individuals who, despite taking an oath to uphold the Constitution, are distressing the nation and compromising nationalism.

He termed this as “despicable, condemnable, reprehensible anti-national conduct”.

“Under no circumstances can we promote the interests of our enemies. The world laughs at us when a person in a Constitutional position engages in behaviour abroad that disregards their oath to the Constitution, neglects national interest, and undermines the dignity of our institutions,” VP Dhankhar added.

Addressing a gathering at the Central University of Rajasthan in Ajmer on Friday, Dhankhar said: “Can we even imagine undertaking actions that do not align with appropriate conduct for our nation, actions that do not promote our nationalism?” He emphasised the need to focus on fulfilling national aspirations rather than working towards the ambitions of our adversaries.

“History has never forgiven those who acted against the interests of their country,” he added

Reminding citizens that every Indian stepping beyond the country’s borders is an ambassador for our culture and nationalism, the Vice-President cited the exemplary leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India. He noted that Vajpayee, the opposition leader under then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, effectively represented India’s interests in sensitive international issues on global platforms.

“Ideologies will differ, views will differ, and attitudes toward governance will vary. But one thing must remain constant: the nation is supreme. We cannot suppress national sentiment. When the nation faces challenges, we stand united. Regardless of our colour, religion, caste, culture, or education, we are united, and we are one,” the Vice President underlined. He appealed to citizens to focus on fundamental duties and abide by the Constitution, respecting its ideals and institutions.

Highlighting the significance of the new National Education Policy (NEP) introduced after three decades, Dhankhar urged States that have not adopted the NEP to do so. He emphasised that the NEP is not associated with any political party but is a national initiative that is a significant game changer for the country. “The evolution of the National Education Policy has occurred after getting inputs from stakeholders, running into thousands. It is distancing from degree education and making education relevant to boys and girls, aligned with their aptitude and attitude. It is a big change,” he elaborated.

–IANS

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The last few weeks were full of interesting events in the political arena. It always seems that the opposition now has an upper hand on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP but eventually it turns out that Modi is the final winner. It has been very rare in cases like the farm laws then and the wrestler’s agitation now when Modi had to retract his steps. Even if Modi retracts like in the chess board, the impact of that on BJP has been electorally negligible. The important point to note is that in both cases the opposition has shot from the shoulders of other people and have not done it directly but Modi gives a blow directly to the opposition and seldom shoots from anyone else’s shoulder which has proved electorally fatal for the opposition especially for the only other national party albeit on paper today, the Indian National Congress. Even if the opposition was able to make a rare dent in the armor of Modi, his next moves have left the clueless opposition fall heavily on the ground losing the bout.

As we all know, some miscreants entered our new parliament and did a copycat act mimicking some great freedom fighters who had a very good and noble reason which their agenda driven attempt can never match. If the opposition had a strong strategy and skill, they would have not repeated the same mistake asking every time for Amit Shah or Narendra Modi to speak in parliament and would have come up with a solid plan of attack to corner Modi as there was a security lapse which was the main issue. As always, the opposition had a lackluster idea and everyone started creating ruckus in parliament and had a lot of their rank and file suspended. What they didn’t expect was that a historic record of suspension to the extent of 146 people would be done. Logically, the next smart move by them would have been to go to the public with a serious face, sit outside parliament protesting against the so called injustice meted to them. On the contrary what they do? They have a gala time outside with one TMC leader mimicking the Hon’ble Vice President of India and another Congress leader filming it. The public who was already irritated with opposition parties consistently hindering the business of the house(s) in multiple sessions now but could have sympathized with them got more angered witnessing their casual and irresponsible behavior outside of parliament. The opposition plan totally flopped as no one seemed to take them seriously as the public at large except their staunch supporters realized that they were not serious about the nation nor them as their voters and were just concentrating on their agenda. In the midst of all this ruckus, BJP got time to investigate the incident. Amit Shah will eventually share the findings of the security breach and I somehow feel it will be big blow to the dot dot alliance again. Another important catch, not surprisingly, missed by a team totally out of form.

In the meanwhile, Modi’s smarter army springs to action and quickly improvises while the opposition soldiers were jumping on the field and outside. A theory that some have is that there is a bigger plan behind the mass suspension. BJP knew the risk of sympathy factor for opposition but still they let the suspensions happen. Modi’s move through this is to unite the I.N.D.I alliance very strongly so that they fight the 2024 elections as one single unit instead of multiple parties splitting votes and all the votes of those voters who don’t like a party in the dot dot alliance will move in bulk to the only opposition which is BJP. This way BJP tends to gain more.

Even if the earlier plan doesn’t work and the opposition disintegrates before 2024 elections which is just a few months away now and everyone does their own thing although they will not call off the alliance formally, Modi will adopt plan B which is to keep attacking Congress’s ego and have them cut the votes of the regional parties as much as possible wherever its not a direct one to one contest for BJP. It is very clear that Congress will have existential crisis as a national party if they don’t get enough seats in states like TN, WB, Bihar etc. The stronger regional parties are not in a mood to give them double digit number of seats and the Hindi heartland has already abandoned them. BJP will take full advantage of the abusive remarks of DMK about Sanatana Dharma and Hindi speaking states as they know the other parties of their alliance will not openly condemn for the sake of the alliance. Nitish kumar and RJD are visibly unhappy with DMK and with Mallikarjun Kharge’s name proposed as PM candidate albeit Congress has been silent on that.  Public is bound to get terribly confused with so many contradictions and the big question that will run in their minds is that how the parties will run the country together if they can’t simply work amicably.

Either way it’s Modi’s check and mate to the I.N.D.I alliance. No prizes for guessing the winner. The only thing to wait and watch is to how much more seats will BJP manage to gain beyond 300 although I am confident they will easily break their highest so far. 2024 is set to start with a spiritual and political celebration in its first quarter itself. Jai Shri Ram!

Ananth Mahadevan is a political commentator based in Bengaluru.

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In a major embarassment to Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, the Governor of West Bengal has pulled up the former for his unwarranted comments on the prorogation of West Bengal’s Assembly.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar announced the prorogation of West Bengal’s Assembly session with effect from 12 February 2022 by exercising the powers bestowed upon him as per Article 174 of the Constitution.

Article 174 of the Constitution empowers the Governor of a State to summon the State Legislature to meet at such time and place as he deems fit and also for prorogating the Assembly session.

https://twitter.com/jdhankhar1/status/1492390605301121027

It is to be noted that the Governor is required to act based on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers (headed by the Chief Minister) of the State.

However, without realizing this basic Constitutional procedure, MK Stalin who is also a Chief Minister of a State jumped the gun and made unwarranted comments about West Bengal Assembly being prorogued.

In a bid to position himself as a pan-Indian Opposition leader, MK Stalin called the West Bengal Governor’s act as “without any propriety expected from the exalted post” and “against the established norms and conventions”.

He added that head of the state should be the role model to uphold the constitution.

Reacting to these remarks of MK Stalin, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar launched a scathing attack saying that the Assembly was prorogued at the request of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

https://twitter.com/jdhankhar1/status/1492745741197983750

In light of this, many leaders as well as netizens on social media have slammed Chief Minister MK Stalin saying that he has exposed his ignorance on such basic Constitutional procedures which even a new civil service aspirant is aware of. They have said that his attempt to politicize to position himself as anti-Centre has caused huge embarassment for the state itself.

Dumb and dumber ! https://t.co/cSP4IVl2Hv

— Maanu Raajan (@maanuraajan1) February 13, 2022

Rahul Gandhi of DMK doesn't even know the meaning of half the words of his tweet

Secondly it was done following the request by @MamataOfficial govt https://t.co/yWFTESzAu6 pic.twitter.com/GBNh2zTMXS

— BALA (@erbmjha) February 13, 2022

https://twitter.com/FollowThyLead/status/1492789080245129220

The sense of urgency our TN CM Thiru @mkstalin shows in commenting on issues without any adequate info is putting him in poor light

Everything to be made anti-central govt & not concentrating on welfare measures for our TN makkal is the simple crux of his last 8 months in power! https://t.co/dEF6oPt6Vr

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) February 13, 2022

The very tweet of @mkstalin shows how ill prepared & less informed these dynasts are … In the past they made people believe what they say . Now they are left to search for their clothes in public by their foolishness . Pity them . Tamilnadu deserves better Governance . https://t.co/ieWzIgUtpv

— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) February 13, 2022

Absolute disgrace Chief Minister @mkstalin ! What are you even trying to do? pic.twitter.com/wy41g1yZGB

— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) February 13, 2022

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Tuesday afternoon (4 May) and expressed his “serious anguish and concern over the alarmingly worrisome law and order situation” in the state, the West Bengal governor said.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, in his tweet said, “PM called and expressed his serious anguish and concern at alarmingly worrisome law & order situation”.

https://twitter.com/jdhankhar1/status/1389496563916025857

Dhankhar also shared his grave concerns of violence, vandalism, arson, loot, and killings with the prime minister. The post-poll violence had soon began soon after it emerged that the TMC had received the mandate of the people of West Bengal.

Governor Dhankhar has also summoned Director General West Bengal Police and Kolkata Commissioner and urged them to take all steps possible to restore law and order in the state.

Governor Dhankhar also met with Chief Minister elect Mamata Banerjee at his residence, and in his interaction, called on her to take steps to ensure the post-poll violence, arson, loot, and killings end.

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