Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday claimed that "certain forces in the Western side" are unable to appreciate the country's growth as he asserted that India follows true secularism.
He also said the army should not be dragged into an controversy to further political interests as it is serving in extreme circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir. Certain powers were trying to create trouble and controversy over Kashmir, Naidu said.
Amid an ongoing logjam in Parliament over BJP's demand for an apology by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his democracy remarks and Opposition's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue, he said the House must debate, discuss and decide, but there should be no disruption.
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Delivering the 29th Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Lecture here, the former vice president said India can soon become the third largest economy in the world.
"India is being recognised, respected, admired throughout the world, though certain forces in the western side, they are not able to appreciate, particularly the colonial rulers, India's growth," he said.
"That is why you find more often here and there, negative stories about India and its growth ... we are the largest democracy in the world. We are the true secular country in the world ...," the former vice president said.
He said the English had tuned "our minds in such a way that we praised them" and "even now they want us to remember this".
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Naidu claimed that some "perverted" people in India go out and say British rule was better. "Fortunately, no politician said like that. Some other big person I don't want to name," he said.
He said it was former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri who first initiated the thrust towards building an Atmanirbhar Bharat through his clarion call of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan".
The former vice president described Shastri as a visionary leader of his times, someone who has inspired several generations, with his iconic leadership, simplicity, honesty, adherence to high moral values and uncompromising firmness on matters of national interest.
-With PTI Input
