Vijayawada: Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu objected to the use of abusive language in politics and spending crores of rupees in the elections. He came to Guntur on Sunday and participated in a cordial meeting at the Guntur club. He recalled that he had participated in every election and this is the first time he is inactive in the general elections. He claimed that he contested elections with the money donated by people and said that he wants to continue serving people in the coming days. He expressed his anguish over the low quality of political debates during the just-concluded election campaign with politicians resorting to personalised attacks instead of focusing on larger issues of public concern.
Speaking at a function organised to felicitate him by his friends and well wishers, following the recent conferment of a honorary doctorate by the University for Peace at Costa Rica, Mr Venkaiah Naidu said that politicians should remember that they are only rivals and not enemies, and said that language should not be abusive. All political parties, people and the press too should seriously ponder over this issue, he added. He recalled that during his younger days as a legislator, he used to be highly critical of and harsh on the policies of government but never indulged in personal attacks. He underlined the importance of respecting the institutions of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, leader of the opposition and other public representatives.
Mr Venkaiah Naidu expressed anguish over falling standards in every walk of life. He appealed to all, including legislators, political parties, institutions and people in public life, to uphold high standards and values. He also urged people to select and elect their representatives on the basis of character, caliber, conduct and capacity to strengthen democracy, although four other Cs—caste, cash, community and criminality were trying to be predominant.
Mr Venkaiah Naidu also took dig at the growing trend of defections and freebies offered by political parties. Referring to his interactions with foreign dignitaries in India and during his visits abroad, he said the world was impressed with India’s economic momentum. “India is being recognised and respected the world over,” he asserted and pointed out that the Indian economy was moving forward while the global economy was slowing down.
