"Anti-National Narratives Like Covid, Must Be Neutralised": Vice President

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday described "anti-national narratives" as the Covid virus and said they have to be neutralised.

He was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural function of 8th three-day international seminar on 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam: Shrimad Bhagwadgita & Global Unity' organised by Kurukshetra University and Kurukshetra Development Board. The event was organised here as part of the ongoing International Gita Festival.

Dhankhar said either in a planned way or due to lack of understanding, a few people "take pleasure in floating anti-national narratives".

"It should not happen. You should oppose it (such narratives). It is like Covid virus that has to be neutralised," he said.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Gita Manishi Swami Gyananand, and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi were also present at the event.

The philosophy of Gita is the bedrock of Indian civilisation, its culture and in the present times the soul of India's governance with an emphasis on objectivity, transparency, equity and commitment to universal brotherhood, said the vice president.

He said today India is making rapid progress in varied fields.

"..We are a world power, we stand for peace, we stand for global stability. We want to take our Bharat in 2047 at peak when we will be into centenary celebration of our Independence," he said.

Referring to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflict, Dhankhar said, "After the World War II, the world has not seen this much pain as it is seeing today." "We are virtually sitting on a volcano. World's two 'configurations' -- one Israel-Hamas and another Ukraine-Russia -- are well known," he said, while adding Gita's philosophy is as relevant today as never before.

"And India's Prime Minister has made two historic statements in the past. First one was nearly one-and-a-half years back that 'we are not living in an era of expansion'. In saying so, the PM took pride this country never in its history has thought of expansion. We have suffered invasions, incursions of all kinds, but we have never believed in expansion policy," he said.

When there were two big issues before the world, PM Modi taking guidance from the Gita said that every possible effort should be made to avoid war, through dialogue and diplomacy, Dhankhar said.

Making a reference to the Mahabharat era, he said no effort was spared by Lord Krishna to ensure that there be no war. "But once this becomes inevitable, even then Lord Krishna gave 'gyan' to Arjuna which we need to ponder upon today," he said.

Lord Krishna told Arjuna never to leave path of duty...and "today PM Modi is doing so", he said.

Dhankhar also praised Chief Minister Khattar and described him as a "true follower" of the Gita.

The vice president said that while Khattar's identity as a chief minister is endearing to the people, he is known for transparency, fairness and accountability.

Speaking on the occasion, Khattar said the Gita is not just a book or scripture, it is the "essence of life, Gita is universal and eternal".

Dhankhar emphasized the alignment of the Central government with the principles of "Gita governance".

He applauded Prime Minister Modi's commitment to righteousness and duty, citing the importance of performing duties without attachment to the results, as advocated in the Gita.

Dhankhar said the fundamental of democracy is that all are equal before law.

"Earlier some people thought they are above law. But a big change happened and today no one is outside the ambit of law, this is the ground reality. I can assure you to achieve this is not easy. It was a formidable challenge, challenge from those who were established, those who had a great support system -- in the system and outside. But today we can hold our head high and say Gita governance is there and all are equal before law," he said.

Without naming anyone, the vice president said if one gets notice as per law, the procedure under law should be followed.

But the new culture that "we will take to roads if we get notice as per law" is not what Gita taught us, he asserted.

Dhankhar, along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, also visited the Assam Pavilion at the event here.

He said India is poised to be the third largest economy in the world by 2030.

Dhankhar also said that the Gita gives "solutions to all problems and teaches us inclusivity".

He urged every citizen to contribute to India's development, terming 'Amrit Kaal' as the "golden era" for the country, and set a goal to transform India into a developed nation by 2047. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)