The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today described India as the most functional democracy in the world and stressed that none in the world has legitimacy or credentials to lesson us on this aspect. He further said that our constitutional institutions are spinally strong and independent, and we are proud of our judicial system.

Delivering the closing address at the Rising India Summit-2023 organised by News 18 network in New Delhi today, Shri Dhankhar said that it is painful that some amongst us are engaged in thoughtless orchestration of sinister campaigns to taint and tarnish our democratic institutions.

Calling upon everyone to be cognizant of virtual intense warfare against India's integrity, he cautioned that sinister forces, within and without, are working with a pernicious agenda to sully and downsize our growth trajectory and run down our success. An ecosystem is being shaped to combat India's emergence as Global power, he added.

The Vice President further said that attacking India's legitimacy as a nation state, its constitutional institutions including the Parliament is becoming a favourite pastime of some outside the country. “You will not find a parallel in the world that people holding positions of power would go to other countries to run down their own country,” he added.

Expressing disapproval of looking at the issue of corruption through political & partisan prism, Shri Dhankhar emphasised that “none in democracy can claim on any ground whatsoever, to be above the law and beyond the reach of the law.”

Praising the governance reforms in recent years, the Vice President opined that these have led to emergence of transparent and accountable ecosystem. “Power Corridors, for long infested with people engaging in liaising and what not, have now been sanitized. It used to be a lucrative industry at a time,” he said and added that a sea change has also been reflected in bureaucratic positioning, with there being an eclipse of the concept of “plum posts.”

Observing that “Disorder has become the normal order in the Parliament,” Shri Dhankhar wanted the legislatures to become genuine platforms for dialogue, debate, discussion and deliberation, and not a theatre of disruptions and disturbance. Stating that everyone should work for nurturing and blossoming of our democracy, he appealed to the journalists and intelligentsia, to generate the climate so that our parliamentarians, in temples of democracy, exemplify high standards worth emulating by people at large.

Describing himself as the foot soldier of judiciary and referring to his long legal career, Shri Dhankhar suggested that those at the helm of constitutional institutions should refrain from making comments in public domain.

On this occasion, the Vice President also unveiled a coffee table book titled- "Voice of India-Modi and His Transformative Mann ki Baat". The book highlights the success stories of Bharat that found a mention in the Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat episodes.

Dr Harivansh, Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha and other dignitaries were present.

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MS/RK