The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said, “VIP culture is an aberration, it is an incursion when viewed through the anvil of equality. It should have no place in society, much less in religious places. The very idea of VIP darshan militates against divinity. It should be dispensed with," he remarked. Calling for equality in religious institutions, he added, "Religious institutions are emblematic of equality since there is no individual higher before the Almighty, the God. We should re-instil the idea of equality in religious institutions. I hope this Dharmasthala, being led by a luminary of all times, will serve as an example of egalitarianism and let us shun for all times VIP culture."

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Queue Complex and Jnanadeepa at Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala, Karnataka today, the Vice-President urged leaders to rise above bitterness. "Politics is not for bitterness. Politicians will have different ideologies. They must have. India is defined for its diversity because the diversity converges into unity. But why should there be political bitterness? The object of politics should not be power alone. Power is important. It should be serving the society, serving the nation," he asserted.

Expanding on this, Shri Dhankharadded, "There is now urgent need in the country to ensure, to think, to reflect on deep political divisiveness. Political climate in the country is a challenge as much as climate change. We have to work to harmonize it. We cannot ignore our long-term gains. The political temperature in the country needs to be moderated by rational minds. All our stance has to be dictated and purified firmly by one consideration—the goodness of the nation. We must strive to keep nation first in all situations. Because this country, home to one-sixth of humanity, is the nerve center, cultural center, and spiritual center of the planet."

Addressing concerns about law and order, he condemned the destruction of public property and nefarious activities by rogue elements. "Imagine in a country like ours, people challenge law-enforcing authorities. They challenge public order. They come to the streets if there is a court summon. Is this the way to function in a country that is Bharat? Anyone who challenges law and public order must be held accountable. How shameful it is for us. How painful it is when we see public property being destroyed, public property being set on fire. They are enemies of the nation. These people, these nefarious elements must be dealt in an exemplary manner. They must be brought to law. Their cases must be fast-tracked. This country of 1.4 billion cannot suffer this kind of public nuisance, destruction of public property," he cautioned, adding, "The world is appreciating our trains. One after the other we are having trains and there are some people who stone it. They are rogue elements of society. They should not have our respect. They must be singled out, pinpointed, and strongly dealt with."

On the importance of dialogue in a democracy, the Vice-President stated, "Dialogue and expression, they define democracy. If our right of expression is curtailed, diminished, the best of an individual cannot come forward. But if we insist only on expression and do not believe in dialogue, if we believe only in expression and believe that we alone are right, we are being unfair to humanity, to the other person. Dialogue and expression have to go hand in hand. It is dialogue that makes us realize the importance of the other point of view."

The Vice-President further emphasized the role of parliamentarians in fostering dialogue. "The most authenticated platform in democracy for dialogue emanates from the people. The people elect their representatives to parliament and legislatures. It is the bounden duty of public representatives to voice concerns of the people. They must offer solutions. They must work to realize aspirations of the people. But if those who are obligated, constitutionally mandated to engage in dialogue but engage in disruption, then things go wrong. Because there can be no vacuum in society. If parliamentarians and representatives of the people will not engage in their activity, the vacuum will be filled. People will agitate on streets. People go in chaotic mode because they have to find expression of their problems. They have to look for the solutions. I, therefore, urge, wake up. We are cliffhanging as a parliamentary institution. We are very close to eclipsing. We are getting into irrelevant mode. Time for the temples of democracy to be vibrant for expression of views, healthy dialogue, consensual approach that was reflected by the constituent assembly in evolution of our Constitution," he said.

Calling upon representatives and citizens alike, Shri Dhankhar urged, "We are in the last quarter of the century for the celebration of our independence. We have set a target for our developed nation at 2047. It is no longer a dream. It is our object. It is achievable. But we all have to believe in our nation, in serving the nation, and rise above partisan approaches when it comes to the development of national welfare. I call upon the people, they have power of social media. I call upon youth, generate pressure on your representatives. Audit your representatives because your watchdog positioning will account for the success of democracy. Once you do it, the representatives will shine and outshine in service of the nation."

While calling India the spiritual center of the world, Shri Dhankhar also emphasised the importance of villages saying, “Our Bharat lives in villages. Our path of progress has to go through villages. Villages define our way of life, our democracy, our economy. It is in villages that the heartbeat of India resonates. The development of these areas has to be our topmost priority. It is our sacred duty. And the best way to transform is education," he remarked.

The Vice-President emphasized the role of the Panch Pran in national transformation. "The foundation of our national transformation, which is taking place, can get accelerated if all individuals, all citizens commit to five pillars, which I call as ‘Panch Pran.’ One, we must promote social harmony. We must believe in social harmony that transcends diversity, converts diversity into national unity. We must believe in family life, family enlightenment by nurturing patriotic values at grassroots with children. We must care for our environment, environment-friendly lifestyle, environmental values. Look at our worships, they are environment-friendly. We are sure we don't have another earth to cohabit. We can't allow this existential challenge to overtake us. We must be environment-friendly. I call upon everyone in the country to believe in Swadeshi. Be vocal about local. That will promote employment. That will save precious foreign exchange. You will believe in it. And lastly, our Constitution gives us fundamental rights. But we must focus on fundamental duties. Our duties are sacred. They take nothing much. If you go through the fundamental duties, you'll be inspired, motivated to follow them," he said.

Appealing to corporates, the Vice-President encouraged them to actively support religious institutions through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). "I call upon corporates, Indian corporates, to come forward, generously contribute out of their CSR funds for development of infrastructure, for health, for education, infrastructure around such religious institutions, because these religious institutions are beyond places of worship. They are the nerve center of our culture. This will help imbibe in our youth, in our children, cultural values that make this country different from other countries," he said.

The Vice-President concluded by appreciating the exemplary efforts of Dharmasthala in education, healthcare, and rural development. "Under the divine gaze of Bhagwan Sri Manjunatha, there is a reflection of religiosity, sublimity, harmony and peace of mind. The Sanidhya Queue complex is beyond a physical structure. It is just not a building. It is a manifestation of our collective commitment to inclusivity, hospitality and service”, he noted.

Shri Brijesh Chowta, Member of Parliament, Shri D. VeerendraHeggade, President, Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, Smt. Hemavathi V. Heggade, President, Jnanavikasa Programme, Shri D. Surendra Kumar, Trustee of SKDRDP, Shri D. Harshendra Kumar, Secretary, SDME society and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

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