"They are unable to understand the concept of nation," Jagdeep Dhankhar said (File)
In a veiled rebuke to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks made in the US, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said a person holding a constitutional post behaved in a foreign country in a way that he forgot the oath of allegiance to the Constitution, ignored interest of the country and stabbed the dignity of the country's institutions.
The vice president also said such people are "compromising" with nationalism and wandered why they "want to bleed mother India". On Thursday too, Mr Dhankhar had said there was nothing more condemnable and intolerable than one in constitutional position becoming part of enemies of the nation.
Addressing an event at the Central University of Rajasthan in Ajmer, he said, "It has become a matter of pain; people of the world are laughing at us that a person holding a constitutional post is behaving in a foreign country in such a way that he has forgotten the oath of allegiance to the Constitution, has ignored the interest of the country, and has stabbed the dignity of our institutions." He said it is a fundamental duty to abide by the Constitution, to respect its ideals and institutions, the national flag and the national anthem.
The university organised a dialogue programme on the role of 'higher education in developed India @ 2047'.
Mr Gandhi, during his recent visit to the US, had attacked the government and the BJP on a range of issues and had also criticised the Election Commission on the conduct of the last Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Dhankhar said one should always keep the nation above self interest and political interest. We cannot promote the enemy's interest under any circumstances, he said.
"It is a sad matter, a matter of concern, a matter of contemplation, a matter of churning that some of our misguided people are hurting mother India despite taking oath in the name of the Constitution. They are compromising with nationalism. They are unable to understand the concept of nation. I do not know with which selfish motive they want to bleed mother India. I will request them. Every Indian who steps outside the country is an ambassador of our nationalism, an ambassador of our culture," he said.
He further said, "Can we even imagine ... we will do such a thing which is not appropriate behaviour... It does not promote our nationalism, it is against our nationalism. Fulfill our dreams, why are you engaged in fulfilling the dreams of the enemies. History has never forgiven those who have behaved like this with the country." "I pity them for their despicable, condemnable, reprehensible anti-national conduct, and that too outside the nation. I pray to the almighty to bestow wisdom on them," Mr Dhankhar said.
He said his job is not to do politics.
Political parties should do their own work, they are entitled to work the work they wish to do, he said, adding ideologies will be different, attitude towards governance will be different.
"There is no problem in this. But there will be similarity in one thing and that is - nation is supreme," he said.
Talking about the country's growth chart, the vice president said India today is known in the world as a country that is not dependent on others.
"The resonance of India's leadership, the influence of its leadership, the impact of its leadership is proving to be decisive in the world," he said.
He said that we are in interesting times where we have no limitations. Be it land, water, air, space, India's echo is being heard by the world.
"Our progress is in every field. Everyone knows that we have no other place to live except Earth. We have to maintain it, restore it. Climate change has to be contained," he said.
"In 10 years you have got such governance which is transparent, accountable, where everyone is equal before the law. The privileged pedigree has vanished. No one can say that he is above the law. They are restless, they are troubled. Politics has dominated them in such a way that they forgot the nation, forgot national interest," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)