Vice President Venkaiah Naidu: 'Time citizens take duties seriously'

Entitlements come with duties and responsibilities, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday, noting that it is time citizens take their duties seriously. Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament to mark the Constitution Day in Central Hall of Parliament House, he said while it is absolutely necessary to defend Fundamental Rights relating to life, liberty, equality and freedom of expression, "it is time that we, as citizens, take our duties towards the nation seriously."

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'Governments alone not responsible'

As vice president, Naidu is also Chairman of Rajya Sabha. "Entitlements come with duties and responsibilities as well. Nation-building cant be the responsibility of governments alone. Citizens have to play an equally important role," he said.

Naidu stressed on the need to keep the country above creed and quoted BR Ambedkar to say if the contrary is done, then the country's independence will be put in jeopardy. In a word of caution, the vice president said Ambedkar was candid enough to express his fears as to what the future has in store for India.

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He had said, Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place the creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if parties place creed above our country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever."

He said the Indian democratic experience over the last seventy years has been fairly positive "except for a dark patch during the Emergency when the Constitution was subverted".

"But, it is a glowing testimony to our country's resilience, the strong framework of parliamentary democracy, a robust electoral system and above all, the people's ability to orchestrate dissent through constitutional provisions that prevented us from slipping into dictatorship," he said.

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