Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday expressed deep anguish over recent happenings in some legislatures and Parliament in which members resorted to acrimonious behaviour.
Addressing the gathering after releasing a book titled, 'A Child of Destiny', an autobiography penned by Prof. K. Ramakrishna Rao, an educationist, here, Naidu said that he was perturbed by the "vitriolic language" used by members against their opponents and underscored that they were only political rivals and not enemies.
According to an official release, he expressed concern over the growing display of animosity by people in public life.
Noting that there were bound to be differences in a democracy, the Vice President cautioned that democracy would be the loser if there was no debate or discussion but only disruption.
Observing that people were watching the conduct of the public representatives, he warned that there would be a loss of faith in the system if the trend continued unchecked.
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Naidu, who is Chairman of Rajya Sabha, asked political parties to respect the mandate of the people.
He advised people to elect or choose their representatives based on their "character, calibre, capacity and conduct instead of cash, caste, community and criminality".
Referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, Naidu asserted that it does not discriminate against Indian citizens but seeks to provide citizenship to those who were persecuted on religious grounds in neighbouring countries.
Urging people to read and understand legislation like abrogation of Article 370 and CAA, he cautioned that vested interests were trying to create a negative opinion overseas about India. He asserted that no country has any business to interfere in India's internal affairs.
Addressing the young students in the gathering, Naidu stressed the need to teach more about Indian history and make them aware of its heritage, culture and the contributions of freedom fighters.
He said that the education they receive must be value-based.
He suggested reorienting the curriculum in terms of incorporating emerging trends in higher education and improving methods of instruction to leverage the endless possibilities of Information Technology.
He said Rao was a pre-eminent scholar, a dedicated academician, a celebrated author, an accomplished researcher, scientist and a steadfast Gandhian.
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