Vice President Venkaiah Naidu invokes Nehru in Serbian parliament
Belgrade, Sep 16: Observing that the Indian parliament has evolved as a democratic forum that listens and responds to diverse concerns, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has invoked first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the Serbian parliament to highlight the importance of democracy for participatory development.
On the occasion of International Day of Democracy, Naidu on Saturday addressed the special session of the National Assembly of Serbia wherein he recalled the shared vision with which leaders of both the countries played a key role in launching the Non Aligned Movement (NAM).
"Our ties started on a strong foundation of a shared global view of Non-Aligned Movement and we together created a large platform for the third world. The changes in global geo-politics now again give us an opportunity to work together for mutual benefit and for sharing prosperity with others," said Naidu addressing Serbian lawmakers.
Recalling Nehru's 1961 address at Conference of Non-Aligned nations in Belgrade, Naidu said: "His call which rings so true and relevant even today was to build in our own countries societies where freedom is real.
"Freedom is essential, because freedom will give us strength and enable us to build prosperous societies," he said quoting Nehru and added: "We must strive to strengthen our democratic polities and internalize the concepts of freedom, dialogue, inclusion and rule of law in our governance structures."
Giving an detailed account of the growth and consolidation of parliamentary democracy in India, Naidu said the Indian parliament has "evolved as a democratic forum that attentively listens to complex voices from different parts of the vast country and responds to diverse concerns with agility".
The Vice President also had detailed discussions with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on various bilateral and multilateral issues.
He gave a detailed account of India's progress in various fields including an enabling, predictable and reform oriented financial and investment eco-systems offering mutually beneficial partnerships.
Voicing concerns over the menace of terrorism, he called for early finalisation of draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
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Very sad: Akhilesh Yadav on stampede-like situation at Maha Kumbh
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday expressed grief over several people being injured in a stampede-like situation at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and underlined the need for enhanced surveillance at the event.
Multiple casualties were feared after the stampede-like situation broke out at the Sangam as millions of pilgrims turned up for a holy bath on 'Mauni Amavasya', the most significant ritual at the Maha Kumbh.
This year, a rare celestial alignment called 'Triveni Yog' is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day. The 'Amrit Snan' on 'Mauni Amavasya' is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims.
"The news of casualties of devotees in the mismanagement accident in Maha Kumbh is very sad," Yadav said in a post on X.
The former chief minister called on the Uttar Pradesh government to take immediate action to support the injured and prevent further chaos.
He said air ambulances should be deployed to transport those seriously injured and called for "swift arrangements to identify the deceased and return their bodies to their families".
Yadav emphasised the need for enhanced surveillance at the event, particularly through helicopters, to maintain order and security.
He also appealed to devotees to remain patient and calm during this difficult time and asked the government to learn from the incident to improve future arrangements for pilgrims.
According to Akanksha Rana, Officer on Special Duty for the Mela, a barrier in the Sangam area collapsed, injuring many people.
