Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Saturday that there is no “curtailment of any democratic value system in India” and it is blossoming and flourishing like never before. While interacting with the UK-based Indian students at an event organised by the Indian High Commission on Saturday evening, he also said, “There can be no more freedom of expression in any part of the world than in India.” Dhankhar was in the United Kingdom as one of the estimated 100 Heads of State and government from around the world invited to the historic Coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
He said that it was incumbent upon Indian students based in the UK to counter such false narratives about the country.
Before departing for New Delhi, he said, India was proud of students’ achievements and talent and asked them to play the role of goodwill ambassadors of the country.
He also highlighted the many strides made by the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stressed its strong democratic credentials.
Dhankhar said, as quoted by news agency PTI, “India takes its position on global affairs on its own understanding, for its own welfare and world peace. India is emerging as a superpower.”
While addressing the Indin students based in the UK, he said, “If you don’t approve of it, you must antidote it. A false narrative about such a vibrant democracy is antithetical to our national interest if we don’t react.”
He further added, “I have no doubt, the most powerful reaction always comes from rational minds.”
Dhankhar also said India becoming the most populous country in the world is a great advantage as it has learnt the art of leveraging the demographic component by registering economic progress.
He said, “The share of India’s working-age population to the total population will reach the highest level by 2030. It will be 68.9 per cent. No other country can make such a claim.”
“Transparency and accountability are the mantras. Our power corridors, governance corridors have been fully sanitised of power brokers,” said Dhankhar.