
No external power can dictate how India manages its affairs: Vice President Dhankhar
He also said, "We do live in a nation and nations that are a comity. We work in togetherness, we work in tandem. We have mutual respect, diplomatic dialogues. But at the end of the day, we are sovereign, we take our own decisions.'
Addressing the officer trainees of IDES 2024 batch at the Vice-President's Enclave here, he said, 'There will be challenges. Challenges will be to create divisiveness. For example, we have seen global conflagrations - two of them in particular, you know them. These have become open-ended. Look at the devastation of property, human lives, and their misery. And look at our calibration. We taught a lesson, taught it well. We chose Bahawalpur and Muridke, and then brought it to a temporary conclusion. 'Operation Sindoor' is not over - it continues."
'Some people ask the question - why was it stopped? We are a nation that believes in peace, nonviolence, a land of Buddha, Mahavira, and Gandhi. We do not wish to kill even living beings - how can we target human beings? The idea was to generate sanity, to generate a sense of humanity in the others,' he said.
'Our demographic dividend is a global envy. 65% of our population is below 35 years of age. The median age of this country is 28, whereas that of China and the U.S. is around 38–39, and Japan, 48. Now, you are the chosen ones. You've got the opportunity to serve Bharat, home to one-sixth of humanity," he said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
12 minutes ago
- First Post
Op Sindoor Debate LIVE Updates: Rajnath to open debate, Rahul key Opposition speaker; NDA meeting underway
Op Sindoor Debate LIVE Updates: The Lok Sabha on Monday (July 28) is holding a special discussion on Operation Sindoor, India's military response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Defence minister Rajnath Singh is set to open the debate whereas, Rahul Gandhi is key Opposition speaker. read more Ahead of the crucial debate on Operation Sindoor, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju urged the Congress and Opposition parties to refrain from making any statements in Parliament that could harm India's national interest or appear to favour Pakistan. "Everyone must ensure the dignity and spirit of the Indian Army is upheld. The country's enemies should not be emboldened by foul language used by opposition leaders," Rijiju said. Sources say both Houses are expected to witness uproar over the Bihar SIR row, while the Lok Sabha will function in the afternoon for the Operation Sindoor debate. Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resumed proceedings on Monday, with the Lower House seeing protests from Opposition members before the Operation Sindoor discussion began. The Lok Sabha on Monday(July 28) is holding a special discussion on Operation Sindoor, India's military response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, as part of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasised that the Business Advisory Committee has scheduled the debate, following requests from the Opposition, including the Congress, which had earlier written to the government seeking a discussion on the operation. While several issues were on the Opposition's agenda, it was agreed that Operation Sindoor would be taken up first. What to expect from the debate


New Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Stage set for fiery debate on Operation Sindoor
LIVE LIVE Parliment monsoon session LIVE updates| Stage set for fiery debate on Operation Sindoor The first week of the session was disrupted by frequent adjournments and the unexpected resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.


New Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
'Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan': Chidambaram's remark on Pahalgam attackers stirs row
A political row has erupted ahead of the high-stakes parliamentary debate on 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The controversy was sparked by remarks from former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who, in an interview with The Quint, questioned the narrative that the attackers came from Pakistan. 'There is no evidence so far that the killers were Pakistani,' Chidambaram said, suggesting that "homegrown terrorists" could have been involved. He also slammed the government's handling of the investigation, asking why the attackers had not yet been apprehended or identified. His comments triggered a sharp backlash from the BJP, with the party accusing Congress of undermining national security. 'Once again, the Congress rushes to give a clean chit to Pakistan, this time after the Pahalgam terror attack,' BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, sharing a clip from the interview. He further added, 'When it comes to national security, there should be no ambiguity. But with the Congress, there never is – they always bend over backwards to protect the enemy.'