Jagdeep Dhankhar cautions industrialists against funding foreign institutions ‘attacking’ India

He said many of these foreign institutions are involved in hosting events where people who “do not share the blossoming of democracy in our country” and the country’s economic growth participate.

On several earlier occasions, Dhankhar had criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London on the state of Indian democracy.

“An intense assault on India’s values, integrity and its institutions is emanating from a well-maintained incubator out to defame us. An ecosystem is being shaped and nurtured to combat India’s emergence as global power. It is the favorite theme of some outside institutions to attack India’s legitimacy as a nation state and its Constitution,” Dhankhar said.

“I have a wise regard for our industrialists, they are contributing to the growth of the nation. But even the best of minds, sometimes need to be cautioned. Some of India’s billionaires and intellectuals, unmindful of consequence, have fallen prey to such pernicious designs by funding these institutions,” Dhankhar said.

Without taking names, he claimed he was aware of one billionaire who gave Rs 200 crore to an institute in the US, while also adding that the government of India had in 2008 extended assistance of Rs 20 crore to another institution.

“There are people who do not share the blossoming of democracy in our country. Who do not share our joy of increasing the economy and growth trajectory, and they, therefore, want to throw a spanner. And they do it by taking to social media, by writing articles and holding seminars in the country and mostly outside the country also, including in institutions that are by and large fiscally assisted by our billionaires,” he said.

The Vice-President, who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, reiterated his arguments against the Supreme Court using the basic structure doctrine to strike down the constitutional amendment that introduced the National Judicial Appointments Act (NJAC). “The basis of any basic structure has to be the supremacy of Parliament in law making… which means supremacy of people,” he asserted, saying that there was an urgent need for the legislature, executive and the judiciary to “scrupulously adhere to their respective domains”.

On the continuous disruptions that have brought the second leg of the Budget Session on the verge of washout, Dhankhar said, “It is imperative that members of legislature distinguish between their legislative obligations and party compulsions. Prolonged disruptions and disturbances as part of political strategy can not be appreciated. How can something that is antithetical to the essence of democracy, which dilutes our democratic values, can be a political strategy.”