Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday was disappointed with people who mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the leader's humble origins.
"He belongs to a poor family and is an epitome of hard work and determination. His life was full of struggles, and he even sold tea at a railway station," Dhankhar said.
Talking about India's economic advancement, he spoke of the country's phenomenal growth, outpacing the UK and going ahead to surpass Japan and Germany to become the world's third-largest economy. "Today's India is restoring its position as a Vishwa Guru (world leader), as it was in ancient times," he said.
Dhankhar, joined by his wife, Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, went to Mahatma Gandhi School in Sangasi, Jhunjhunu, where he interacted with students.
On his visit, he also heaped praise upon President Droupadi Murmu's inspiring narrative, pointing to how her selflessness and diligent work took her from a tribal origin to commanding posts as an MLA, a minister, governor, and then the President of India. He referred to it as a milestone for Indian democracy.
Talking of the increasing contribution of women to the Indian Armed Forces, Dhankhar reminisced about his first trip to Sainik School in Chittorgarh, when he could not have dreamt of girls being enrolled. "Girls are studying in Sainik Schools, including a specialized one in Mathura now. Today, they are piloting fighter planes and holding important military positions, and that is something to be extremely proud of," he stated.
He also motivated students to give importance to their health, saying, "If you are not healthy, you will have to seek help instead of helping others."
For the purpose of educational exposure, he invited students to come to Delhi in groups, promising them that their stay and food would be completely organized. The schedule would involve going to Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Prime Minister's Museum, and the War Memorial.
Recognizing Jhunjhunu's role in empowering women, Dhankhar pointed to two eminent women of the district — Kamla Beniwal, who was an MLA, minister, deputy chief minister, and governor of Gujarat, and Sumitra Singh, the first female Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly.
He also complimented the Nari Shakti Vandan Act as a milestone step, providing one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, enhancing their place in governance.
Referring to India's development, Dhankhar noted that 12 crore homes have toilets today and 55 crore citizens possess bank accounts. He had said with pride that India's consumption of the Internet is more than that of the US and China together and that fast expansion of roads and new train launches also increased connectivity.
Before concluding, he invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Swadeshi (self-reliance), urging students to prioritize Indian-made products over foreign goods. “Choosing indigenous products strengthens our economy and generates employment opportunities,” he emphasized.
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