Dissent, freedom of speech eternal strengths of Indian democracy but shouldn't be misused: Naqvi

Criticism, dissent and freedom of speech are the eternal strengths of Indian democracy but they should not be misused to defame and denigrate constitutional and democratic values, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Friday.Addressing the valedictory session of a training programme on legislative drafting here, the former minority affairs minister said India is a unique democracy with more than 900 languages and followers of almost all religions of the world living here.

Criticism, dissent and freedom of speech are the eternal strengths of Indian democracy but they should not be misused to defame and denigrate constitutional and democratic values, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Friday.

Addressing the valedictory session of a training programme on legislative drafting here, the former minority affairs minister said India is a unique democracy with more than 900 languages and followers of almost all religions of the world living here. But despite the diversity, the essence of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' has kept the country united.

Unity in diversity has ensured that ''political adversity'' does not hijack nationalistic ideas and principles, he said.

''Our inclusive culture, constitutional commitment and robust democratic values are the charioteers of success of the country,'' a statement issued by Naqvi's office quoted him as saying.

If political dissent becomes ''feudal arrogance'', Naqvi said, it will be precarious for parliamentary decorum and constitutional values.

Despite several ups and downs, India has proved that ''democracy can deliver'', Naqvi said.

Criticism, dissent and freedom of speech are the eternal strengths of the Indian democracy, he said.

''However, we must also keep in mind that this freedom should not be misused to defame and denigrate constitutional and democratic values. The constitutional freedom of speech should not be allowed to become the armour of anarchy and abuse,'' he said.

Naqvi said the digital era has made parliamentary procedures across the world smooth and hassle-free.

India, the world's largest democracy, is playing a leading role in this regard, he said.

The training programme was organised by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) and the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) for officials of Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, legislative assemblies of various states, and various central and state government ministries from July 3 to 14.

About 70 officials participated in the training programme organised at the Parliament Library Building here.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)