Give priority to nation, contribute to its development, says Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar

Nitish Sharma

Kurukshetra, December 17

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday called upon the people to “keep nation first and contribute in making India a developed nation”.

He was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 8th International Seminar on “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Vaishvik Gita” at Kurukshetra University.

The vice-president said: “I have been to almost all the states, but Haryana is different. I feel energised, inspired and motivated whenever I visit Haryana.”

In the evening, Dhankhar inaugurated International Gita Mahotsav-23 at Brahma Sarovar amid chanting of mantras.

Praising Manohar Lal Khattar for transparency, he described the Haryana CM as a foot soldier of Gita. “Earlier, some people used to think that they are above the law but a change has come and now no one is above the law. I can assure you that it was not easy to achieve this. It was a formidable challenge from those who were established, had a great support system, but now we can proudly say that there is a Gita governance in the country,” he said.

“After the second world war, the world hasn’t seen the amount of pain that it is experiencing now. We are virtually sitting on a volcano. Gita has the solution of every problem. It teaches us to be inclusive, and think about development of all. We have a great treasure and we should utilise it,” he said.

“Some of us, due to foolishness, enjoy floating anti-national narratives that is not right. It is like Covid virus that has to be neutralised,” he said. “The philosophy of Gita is the bedrock of Indian civilisation and its culture.”

The vice president praised the participation of Assam in Gita Mahotsav. He said: “Assam as the state partner in the International Gita Mahotsav was a qualitative and significant development, and it will catalyse situation about Gita in that part of the world where it is most needed.

He also inaugurated state-level exhibition, pavilions of Assam and Haryana set up at Purushottam Pura Bagh to showcase the diverse cultural and artistic heritage of the states.

The Mahotsav will conclude on December 24.

Among others who attended the programme were the vice-president’s wife Sudesh Dhankhar, Khattar, Assam’s Culture Minister Bimal Borah and BJP state chief and Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini.