Indian democracy received a setback as the outgoing President Hamid Ansari in his parting message minced words and revealed that intolerance is making minorities feel insure. As he made clear that a sense of insecurity is creeping in as a result of the dominant mood created by some and the resultant intolerance and vigilantism. While outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee was eloquent in his parting words and left the post in style, Vice-president chose the wrong time to open his mind and evoked angry response from BJP. This country is for all parties and there is no caste, creed and religion and airing his views in his farewell speech does not augur well for a man of his stature. After all, both President and vice-president or non-committal to any party or religion, the outspoken way of farewell talk brought disrespect to the chair and the last words did not go well with everyone. In return the incumbent Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu hit back about the political propaganda in a rebuke to Ansari. The post of vice-president is a prestigious one like the President’s post and the person concerned must apply composure and avoid controversies to give respect to the chair and to show exemplary character. Hamid Ansari set a bad precedence and showed his resistance from day one. It is indeed a sad precedence.
Nickhil Mani
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
