Any delay on Uniform Civil Code will be corrosive to our values: V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar

He said the panchayati raj system, the cooperatives and the right to education had all flowed from the Directive Principles of State Policy.

“I am somewhat stunned by the reaction of people when there is a thought afloat that something should be done with respect to Directive Principles under Article 44, and that is ‘The state shall endeavour to secure for citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India’. Now … I am sure that the situation must have come, any further delay in implementation of Uniform Civil Code will be corrosive to our values,” he said.

#WATCH | ” …any further delay in implementation of Uniform Civil Code will be corrosive of our values. The underlying sublimity of it has to be appreciated and understood…”: Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President, on UCC pic.twitter.com/5GXx8GxvgN

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023

He said the UCC will “bind Bharat, its nationalism more effectively – this was the thought process of the founding fathers of the Constitution. Friends, just reflect and think about it, there can be no premise or rationale to impede or delay the implementation of Directive Principles when we are in Amrit Kaal”.

He urged the graduates to work with “economic nationalism” in mind, saying fiscal gains alone should not become the guiding factor.

The Vice-President hit out at what he described as “anti-Bharat” narratives and warned against foreign actors affecting India’s reputation.

“Friends, no foreign entity can be allowed to tweak our sovereignty and reputation… We cannot be on the back foot when it comes to our sovereignty and reputation. We cannot suffer taint on our flourishing and blossoming democracy and constitutional institutions… It is a matter of concern that with periodic frequency and in strategic mode, there is orchestration of anti-national narratives and the objective is to tarnish and taint our image. It is high time the choreographers of anti-Bharat narrative orchestration are effectively rebuffed,” he said.

Dhankhar said there was a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption now and asked the young graduates not to remain silent on the matter.

“A corruption-free society is the safest guarantee to your growth trajectory. I would, therefore, urge every person present here, particularly my young friends, boys and girls, you have the capacity to discern, and you have the capacity to find out what is right and wrong, but please don’t observe silence. Your silence can be too costly for the nation,” he said.