New Delhi, October 18 – Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar issued a warning on Friday about “pernicious forces” attempting to portray India in a negative light, advocating for a “counter-attack” to neutralize such efforts. Speaking at the foundation day celebrations of the National Human Rights Commission, he emphasized that India does not welcome being lectured on human rights.
Dhankhar referred to significant historical events such as Partition, the imposition of Emergency, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as traumatic experiences that serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of liberty. He pointed out that these forces systematically aim to unfairly tarnish India’s reputation and have a “sinister design” to question the country’s human rights record on international platforms.
He stressed the need to combat these forces, suggesting the term “pratighat,” or counter-attack, to describe India’s response. The Vice President also criticized various global indexes that rank countries on human rights issues, asserting that these rankings are designed to misrepresent India.
Addressing the contentious hunger index, Dhankhar highlighted that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian government provided free rations to over 80 crore people, irrespective of their caste or creed, countering claims about the country’s hunger levels.
