"If you discriminate people on the basis of religion or language, you are not a nationalist," he said.
Merely taking photographs of 'Bharatmata' while at the same time discriminating on the basis of religion, region or language does not make one a patriot, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday.
"Patriotism does not mean only taking Bharatmata's photograph and forgetting others, ill-treating others. You have to treat everybody with respect, with love, with affection. Then only you are a nationalist.
"If you discriminate people on the basis of religion or region or language, you are not a nationalist," Mr Naidu told students while speaking at a convocation ceremony at the National Institute of Technology.
"That is the specialty of India. Irrespective of caste, creed, sex, religion and region, India is one. One nation, one people, one country, that feeling should be there among all of you. That is patriotism," Mr Naidu added