'Terrorism a global menace, needs to be addressed in unison', says VP Dhankhar

NEW DELHI: Asserting that " terrorism is a global menace to be addressed by humanity in unison", Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Friday that it was important to bear in mind that national interest is supreme. Emphasising that national interests cannot be intertwined with partisan interest, he said that it has to be "uppermost and cannot be subservient to any interest political, personal or for a group".

"A while ago we observed silence. I joined the nation in expressing profound grief and outrage at the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed innocent lives. It is a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace to be addressed by humanity in unison," he said at the conference of vice-chancellors of state, central and private universities of Tamil Nadu in Ooty.

Dhankhar said that India is the world's most peace loving nation and our civilisational ethos reflected in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is getting global resonance. "Our visionary leadership in the shape of a Prime Minister who is in his third term is our greatest assurance that the Nation’s rise cannot be handicapped by any situations, internal or external," he said.

"But we all have to bear in mind that national interest is supreme, this was echoed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar while imparting his final address to the Constituent Assembly," the VP said. "We therefore have to take a resolve to always keep the nation first. National interests cannot be intertwined with partisan interest. It has to be uppermost. This cannot be subservient to any interest political, personal or for a group," he added.