NEW DELHI: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday urged students to debate, discuss and dissent but not “disrupt”, even as he questioned the events held to observe the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Patriotism and nationalism were the need of the hour, the vice president said.
He added that patriotism did not mean garlanding Bharat Mata and saying “Bharat Mata ki Jai” but it meant celebrating one’s countrymen and not discriminating against anyone on the basis of caste and religion.
Speaking at the 95th convocation of the Delhi University, Naidu made a reference to a controversial event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2016 to protest against Afzal Guru’s hanging, during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
“We must also care for the unity and integrity of the country…Some people debate — I have freedom, I will do this, I will do that. I will celebrate this man, Afzal Guru. We have no problems in celebrating anybody, but if you want to celebrate someone who wants to destroy Parliament, someone who wants to attack the Constitution, is it a celebration?,” Naidu asked the gathering.
Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairman, stressed that for a successful democracy, rules and regulations were important. (AGENCIES)
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