Tag: vice president

Categories
-Top News Politics USA

Trump Rules Out Haley As Running Mate

Polls show Nikki Haley is much closer to Trump in New Hampshire, where she is expected to benefit from a more moderate Republican primary electorate — with undeclared voters participating in the January 23 contest, reports Asian Lite News

Keeping his Vice Presidential choice tightly under wraps, Republican frontrunner and former US President Donald Trump has ruled out Indian-American rival Nikki Haley as his running mate for 2024.

Addressing a rally on Friday at Concord, in the run-up to the New Hampshire nominating contest, Trump said that the former South Carolina Governor, who finished third in Iowa, “is OK, but she is not presidential timber”.

“And when I say that, that probably means she is not going to be chosen as the vice president,” Trump, fresh out of his landslide caucus victory by claiming 50 per cent of the vote, told his supporters, The Hill reported.

“When you say certain things, it sort of takes them out of play, right?” he added.

“I can’t say, ‘She’s not of the timber to be the vice president’ and then say, ‘Ladies and gentleman, I’m proud to announce that I’ve picked’.”

According to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Haley would be a good pick to balance out Trump’s weaknesses as a candidate.

But Haley, who remains confident about her election as the next US President, has said she is not keen on playing Trump’s second-in command.

“I don’t play for a second. I’ve never played for a second. I’m not going to start now. I’m not interested in being Vice President. I’m running to be President and I’m running to win and we will,” she said in a CBS News interview.

Polls show she is much closer to Trump in New Hampshire, where she is expected to benefit from a more moderate Republican primary electorate — with undeclared voters participating in the January 23 contest.

A recent CBS/YouGov poll had revealed that it is Haley who right now holds a bigger lead over President Joe Biden than either Trump or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in potential head-to-head match-ups.

With the New Hampshire primary scheduled for January 23, and South Carolina on February 3, the former UN Ambassador said that the Republican presidential race will be a contest between her and Trump.

In recent weeks, Trump has stepped up attacks against Haley, saying she needs Biden’s supporters to “infiltrate” the party primary to perform well in New Hampshire.

Early this week, he reposted a report from the right-wing website The Gateway Pundit that said Haley was not a US citizen because her immigrant parents were not citizens at the time of her birth.

The former President also used the Concord rally to take potshots at New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who is endorsing Haley, and fellow presidential rival DeSantis.

Trump said Sununu was backing a candidate who wasn’t “capable” of doing the job, adding that Haley wasn’t “tough enough,” “smart enough” or “respected enough” to win the Republican party nomination.

He dubbed Florida Governor DeSantis one of the greatest “self-destructions I think I’ve ever witnessed” and claimed that Sununu “didn’t have the guts’ to run for President”.

An average of New Hampshire surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill shows Trump ahead 11 points over Haley at roughly 46 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively.

ALSO READ: US judge pauses decision on Trump’s disqualification

Categories
-Top News Politics USA

Top Trump Aide Rules Out Ramaswamy For Vice President

Vivek Ramaswamy. (File Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia)

The remarks by Jason Miller comes a day after Trump slammed the “very sly” biotech entrepreneur in a blistering social media post on January 13, saying: “a vote for Vivek is a vote for the other side”.

A top aide of former US President Donald Trump has said that voters are likely to rule out Indian-American longshot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as the Republican frontrunner’s Vice Presidential pick.

The remarks by Jason Miller comes a day after Trump slammed the “very sly” biotech entrepreneur in a blistering social media post on January 13, saying: “a vote for Vivek is a vote for the other side”.

Trump said voters should not get “duped” by Ramaswamy’s “deceitful campaign tricks”, and that he is a threat to MAGA — Make America Great Again.

In a post shared on X on January 13, Ramaswamy said he is not going to criticise Trump in response to his attack, which he called a “friendly fire”.

On Sunday, Miller told The New York Post that voters could “probably” rule out Ramaswamy as the ex-president’s running mate.

“Pretty safe to say it won’t be Vivek,” he said.

Trump, who leads the Republican race despite indictments and civil cases against him, has always praised the political newcomer as a “smart guy” and a “very intelligent person” who has “a lot of talent” and “good energy”.

While being asked on a TV show in September last year whether he was considering a “Vice President Ramaswamy”, Trump said: “Well, I think he’s great. Look, anybody that said, I’m the best president in a generation… So I have to like a guy like that. You know, I can’t get upset with him.”

The former President had however, warned the political newcomer that he was becoming “a little bit controversial”, asking him to “be a little bit careful” with what he says.

Asserting that he is not a “Plan B person”, Ramaswamy had ruled out the possibility of him being the Vice President, saying he would not do well in a number two position in August last year.

While several names are being floated for the second top executive position in the US, Trump said last week that he has already chosen his running mate but has decided not to announce it yet.

In an NBC News interview about two months ago, Trump said he “likes the concept” of a woman as Vice President.

“We’re going to choose the best person,” he said.

IANS had reported earlier that 39-year-old Elise Stefanik, one of Trump’s fiercest allies, fits this bill perfectly and she could end up as his running mate, though her credibility with swing states is still a big question.

ALSO READ: Is Vivek Ramaswamy’s GOP Race Over?

Categories
-Top News Politics USA

Additional Classified File Found at Pence’s Home

The search by FBI was reportedly not linked to other investigations into classified files, reports Asian Lite News

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has found an additional classified file during a search of former US Vice President Mike Pence’s home in Indiana.

The search was conducted by FBI agents from Indianapolis and is not currently linked to other investigations into classified files, the BBC reported.

In a statement on Friday, Devin O’Malley, an adviser to Pence, said that the former Vice President agreed to the consensual search and the additional file were removed following “a thorough and unrestricted search”.

“The Department of Justice completed a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours and removed one document with classified markings and six additional pages without such markings that were not discovered in the initial review by the vice-president’s counsel,” O’Malley added.

Friday’s development follows disclosures by Pence’s attorneys that they found “a small number” of classified files from his Vice-Presidency at the home last month.

This is also the latest development in a growing controversy over classified documents that has already embroiled both former President Donald Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden.

Trump faces a criminal investigation for allegedly mishandling classified documents, while Biden faces a probe by the US Department of Justice.

To date, about 300 classified documents have been recovered from Mr Trump since his administration ended.

While Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he declassified any documents he took when he left the White House, Biden has said that his team did “what they should have done” by alerting officials immediately when classified files were found and that he is co-operating with the special counsel’s investigation, the BBC reported.

A spokesperson for Pence told CNN on Friday that he was away during the FBI search, though a private attorney was present at the house.

In January, representatives for Pence sent a letter to the National Archives — the US government agency that manages the preservation of presidential records — alerting them that they had found classified documents in his home.

Those materials have already been handed over to the FBI.

Classified records are supposed to go to the National Archives once an administration leaves office.

ALSO READ: Special counsel probing Trump subpoenas Mike Pence

Categories
-Top News EU News

EU vice president sacked

The decision over Eva Kaili, embroiled in a corruption probe that allegedly involves World Cup hosts Qatar, was taken on Tuesday…reports Asian Lite News

Greek MEP Eva Kaili was stripped of her position as a vice president in the European Parliament. The decision over Kaili, embroiled in a corruption probe that allegedly involves World Cup hosts Qatar, was taken on Tuesday morning, according to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

Her ousting as vice president was rubber-stamped by MEPs who overwhelmingly backed the motion with 625 in favour, one against and two abstentions. A two-thirds majority was needed.

It comes after Belgian police made fresh raids on Monday including one on a European parliamentary office as the corruption investigation widened.

In a statement, Belgium’s Federal Prosecutors Office said that the IT resources of ten parliamentary staff had been “frozen” to prevent the “disappearance of data necessary for the investigation”. They went on to say that the purpose of the search at the European Parliament was “to seize this data”.

The bloc’s top politicians have strongly condemned the corruption scandal that is shaking the EU legislative body. The EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola spoke about the “enemies of democracy for whom the very existence of this Parliament is a threat, will stop at nothing”.

“A total of 20 searches have been carried out since the beginning of the operations, including 19 in private homes and the one in the offices of the European Parliament,” the Belgian investigators concluded.

The sums seized during the searches carried out so far are spectacular: “€600,000 at the home of one of the suspects, several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase in a Brussels hotel room and around €150,000 in a flat belonging to a Member of the European Parliament,” according to the federal prosecutor’s office.

In a strongly-worded speech, Metsola spoke of “malign actors, linked to autocratic third countries [that] have allegedly weaponised NGOs, unions, individuals, assistants and Members of the European Parliament”.

Four people arrested, including Kaili, have been charged with corruption and money-laundering.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm, said the accusations against Kaili threatened the confidence EU citizens have put in the 27-nation bloc’s institutions.

She said the independent ethics body she proposed establishing would cover lobbying activities at the European Commission, the European Council and European Parliament, as well as at the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Auditors.

Doha has rejected any allegations of misconduct saying that “any association of the Qatari government with the reported claims is baseless and gravely misinformed”.

Socialist MEPs step down

The socialist group in the European Parliament has asked several of its members to step down from key posts and legislative files as the graft scandal involving, Kaili, continues to widen and send shockwaves through Brussels.

The Socialists & Democrats (S&D), the second largest formation in the hemicycle, has come under intense scrutiny after Kaili was arrested on suspicion of illicit lobbying in favour of a Persian Gulf state, believed to be Qatar, the controversial host of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

The move follows a new update by the Belgian federal prosecutor, who in a press release said the IT resources of ten parliamentary had been “frozen” to prevent the disappearance of data. A total of 20 searches have been carried out since Friday, with more than €750,000 seized.

Four people, including Kaili, remain in custody and will appear before a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday.

“My group and myself are shocked by this corruption case,” S&D President Iratxe García Pérez told reporters on Tuesday morning. “I want to make it clear that our commitment to transparency is, has been and will always be absolute.”

García expressed her “disappointment” and said her main concern was to protect the Parliament’s credibility, which, she said, must not be “tarnished” by the revelations.

“We have decided that the MEPs who are being investigated or those whose assistants are being investigated by law enforcement relinquish any position of responsibility that they exercise in the Parliament and in the S&D group as long proceedings are ongoing,” García said.

It is unclear how many of these MEPs took the decision on their own terms or were asked to step aside by the S&D leadership. Euronews has reached out to all of them asking for comment.

Maria Arena denied any “special relation” with the Qatari government and said her removal as subcommittee chair relates to one of her assistants, who used to work for the NGO Fight Impunity, an organisation involved in the corruption scandal.

The president and founder of Fight Impunity, former S&D MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, was one of those arrested alongside Kaili. The organisation does not appear under the EU’s transparency registry.

“This is a personal decision in the interest of the work of the commission,” Arena told Euronews.

“Temporarily, I will not chair the sub-committee until the investigation clarifies the position of my assistant who, I remind you, is only concerned by this case by the fact she carried out a consultancy for the NGO Fight Impunity as an independent expert specialist in governance issues in Africa and, at that time, she was not my assistant.”

ALSO READ-EU, Hungary strike deal to end logjam over Ukraine aid

Categories
India News Politics

Modi bids farewell to outgoing V-P Naidu

Further, the Prime Minister noted that 25 per cent of the Vice President’s speeches, outside the House, were among the youth of the country…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said several decisions taken by Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu will be remembered for the upward journey of the House.

He made the observation while bidding farewell to the outgoing Vice-President Naidu in the House.

Modi pointed out that the systems established by the Vice-President, who is ex-officio Chairman of the Upper House, took the productivity of the House to newer heights. During the years of his leadership, productivity of the House increased by 70 per cent, attendance of the Members increased, and a record 177 bills were passed or discussed. “You have taken so many decisions that will be remembered for the upward journey of the Upper House,” he said.

The Prime Minister remembered many moments that were marked by the wisdom and wit of Naidu. Noting the change of complexion of leadership in New India, the Prime Minister said: “When we mark August 15 this year, it will be an Independence Day when the President, Vice- President, Speaker and Prime Minister would have been born after Independence. And that too, each of them belong to very simple backgrounds. This has a great symbolic value and is a glimpse of a new era,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi recalled the Vice President’s continuous encouragement to the youth of the country in all the roles he undertook in public life and always promoted young Members in the House also. “As our Vice-President, you devoted a lot of time to youth welfare. A lot of your programmes were focused on Yuva Shakti”, he added.

Further, the Prime Minister noted that 25 per cent of the Vice President’s speeches, outside the House, were among the youth of the country.

Underlining his close association with Naidu in various capacities, the PM appreciated the Vice President’s ideological commitment as party worker, work as MLA, activity level as a parliamentarian, organisational skills as the President of BJP, his hard work and diplomacy as Minister and his dedication and dignity as the Vice-President and the Chairman of the House.

The Prime Minister said that people in public life can learn a lot from Naidu.

Highlighting the wit and word power of the Vice President, he said: “Your each word is heard, preferred, and revered and never countered. The one liners of Naidu Ji are famous. They are wit liners. His command over the languages has always been great.”

Both in the House and outside, massive expressive skills of the Vice President have made a great impact.”There is both depth and substance in what Naidu ji says, it is as direct as incomparable, there is both wit and weight, warmth as well as wisdom in what you say,” the Prime Minister said.

He also talked about V-P’s love for his mother tongue. He said “One of the admirable things about Venkaiah ji is his passion towards Indian languages. This was reflected in how he presided over the House. He contributed to increased productivity of the Rajya Sabha.”

The Prime Minister lauded the tactful, wise and firm conduct of the House by the Vice-President and praised him for holding a firm belief that beyond a point, disruption in the House becomes contempt of the house.

“I see the maturity of democracy in your standards,” the Prime Minister said.

He appreciated the adjustment, communication and coordination with which he kept the House going even during the difficult moments. The Prime Minister praised Naidu’s view ‘let Government propose, let Opposition oppose and let the House dispose’.

“This House has the right to accept, reject or amend the proposals from the other House but our democracy does not envisage stalling the proposals received from the other House,” he said.

ALSO READ-Naidu describes VP tenure ‘learning, testing experience’

Categories
India News Politics

‘V-P poll is referendum on how Parliament should run’

She said if she is elected as Vice President, she will commit herself to work tirelessly to uphold the Constitution and to strengthen parliamentary democracy…reports Asian Lite News

Opposition’s candidate for the Vice President’s post, Margaret Alva has written a letter to the MPs across the party lines and said this V-P election should be seen as a referendum on how Parliament is being run.

“I’ve written to Members of Parliament, across parties, explaining why I think the VP election on Aug 6th is not just another election, but must be seen as a referendum on how Parliament is being run. The MPs have the power to bring about change. I’ve urged them to use that power,” she tweeted.

In the letter she said the Vice President’s election, in which only members of Parliament vote, is not just another election. “It must be seen as a referendum on the manner in which Parliament is being run and the breakdown in the fundamental democratic process of building consensus on important national issues, in which you, as the representative of the people, are an important stakeholder.”

She alleged that Parliament is virtually at a standstill, with communication between the members broken and there is distrust, anger, and the inability to debate issues of critical national importance without personal attacks and abuse. This diminishes Parliament and its members in the eyes of the people.

“The time for change is now. The reason the election to the Vice President’s post is not subject to a party whip and is by secret ballot, is to give members an opportunity to vote without fear for a candidate they believe will do justice to this critical position. A candidate who will be impartial, fearless, and run the upper house in a manner befitting its stature. I believe I am that candidate, and I’m writing to ask you for your support and your vote on August 6th,” she wrote.

She said if she is elected as Vice President, she will commit herself to work tirelessly to uphold the Constitution and to strengthen parliamentary democracy. As Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, she will work to build bridges between different political parties, forge consensus on issues of national importance, and help restore the glory of Parliament.

She also mentioned that she has 50 years in public life, as a member of both Houses of Parliament, a Union Minister, a Governor, and a proud representative of India at the United Nations and on other global platforms.

ALSO READ-Tunisians vote on new constitution referendum

Categories
India News

Naidu describes VP tenure ‘learning, testing experience’

The challenges and opportunities that come with it need to be addressed with a long term vision and imagination. Members of Parliament need to rise to the occasion,” Naidu said…reports Asian Lite News

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday described his stewardship of the last 13 sessions as a “learning, revealing and even a testing experience”.

Naidu, who is presiding over the last session of his tenure, stated 57 per cent of the sittings of the House were either fully or partly disrupted during this period and urged the Members to rise to address the demands of the next 25 years of ‘Amrit Kaal’ by the end of which the country’s population is set to increase by another 20 crore.

In his opening remarks in the House on the first day of the Monsoon Session that got underway on Monday, Naidu said that he did his best for effective functioning of the House and was willing to take responsibility if his best was found short of the expectations.

“Dealing with about 245 Members of the House from over 30 parties with different minds, inclinations and ideologies is quite revealing and even a testing experience. I tried to the best of my abilities to draw the best out of all of you as a collective. The credit for the positives would entirely go to all of you. If my best was found to be short of your expectations, I would not hesitate to take responsibility for the same,” he said.

Stating that he would give a detailed perspective account of the functioning of the House during the last 13 sessions of his tenure on his last day in office next month, Naidu told the House that the members that 141 of the 248 scheduled full sittings of the House during this period were either fully or partly disrupted and it could have been much better given the mission for the nation.

Noting that this monsoon session would be the last in the 75th year of Independence of the country, Naidu said that the 25 year ‘Amrit Kaal’ beginning thereafter is critical to take the country to an entirely new plane and urged the Members to rise to the occasion.

He expected this Monsoon Session to set the right tone in this regard.

“I would expect all of you to be propelled by the spirit of ‘New India at 100’ so that our nation makes up for missed time and opportunities. Our population will increase by about 20 crore when Independent India turns 100 years. The challenges and opportunities that come with it need to be addressed with a long term vision and imagination. Members of Parliament need to rise to the occasion,” Naidu said.

He further told the Members that during the inter-session period, seven Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees of the House have held a total of 29 meetings at an average duration of two hours and attendance of over 46 per cent per meeting.

He complimented the chairmen and members of five of these committees for their good work.

Naidu referred to the milestone of 200 crore Covid-19 vaccination jabs in the country achieved on Sunday and placed on record the appreciation of the House to vaccine makers and producers, the Central and state governments, the frontline workers and the people in particular.

The Chairman urged the Members to enable a safe and productive monsoon session of the House.

ALSO READ-India-Qatar bilateral trade touched $15 billion: Naidu

Categories
-Top News COVID-19

Covid vaccination drive should become a people’s movement, says Vice-President

Mentioning that more than 71 crore doses were administered in the country till September 6, he expressed happiness that more than 50 per cent of the eligible people were vaccinated with at least a single dose…reports Asian Lite News.

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday appealed to every eligible person to take Covid-19 vaccine without any fear or hesitation and called for making vaccination a people’s movement.

Launching a free vaccination programme organised by the Swarna Bharat Trust in Hyderabad in collaboration with Bharat Biotech International Ltd and Mediciti Hospitals, he said there was no alternative to vaccination.

Calling for countering the misinformation on vaccines, he urged the people’s representatives, and film and sports celebrities to take the lead in dispelling myths and fears on Covid-19 vaccination.

Highlighting the important role of media in creating awareness and in encouraging Covid appropriate behavior, the Vice-President said that every citizen, who is eligible for vaccination, should deem it as his/her duty to take the required doses of vaccine.

Mentioning that more than 71 crore doses were administered in the country till September 6, he expressed happiness that more than 50 per cent of the eligible people were vaccinated with at least a single dose.

Terming it as a collective and remarkable effort of the Centre and states in the spirit of Team India, the Vice President stressed that the mission of vaccination should not lose momentum until every citizen is vaccinated.

He observed that at a time when even developed countries struggled to cope with the pandemic, India has not only successfully manufactured vaccines indigenously, but is also conducting the world’s largest free vaccination programme. “Further, in the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, India has exported vaccines around the world,” he added.

The Vice President also stressed the importance of Covid appropriate behavior even after vaccination to effectively fight the pandemic. He emphasised that people should take personal responsibility in adherence to personal hygiene, in wearing masks, and in maintaining a safe distance.

He suggested to the people to adopt healthy lifestyle choices, such as practicing yoga, maintaining physical fitness, and eating healthy food in order to ward off health problems.

Naidu complimented the organisers of the free vaccination programme – Swarna Bharat Trust, Bharat Biotech, Muppavarapu Foundation, Mediciti Hospitals (Hyderabad), Simhapuri Vaidya Seva Samiti (Nellore), Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Hospitals (Vijayawada) for their initiative and efforts.

The free vaccination programme was simultaneously launched in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Nellore.

Venkaiah Naidu’s wife Usha Naidu, Bharat Biotech Ltd Joint Managing Director, Suchitra Ella, former Indian Hockey team captain, N. Mukesh Kumar, and Swarna Bharat Trust Chairman, Dr Kamineni Srinivas were among those who participated in the event at Hyderabad.

ALSO READ-US hits 70% Covid vaccination goal amid resurgence

Categories
-Top News India News Science

Strive for innovation: VP Naidu tells scientists

He called for making all out efforts for regeneration and conservation of water bodies in Bengaluru and beyond…reports Asian Lite News.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday called upon scientists to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to address challenges faced by mankind from climate change to agriculture to health and medicine.

Addressing scientists and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) at Bengaluru, the Vice President urged scientists to strive for achieving excellence and to innovate for improving the lives of the people. “Purpose of science is to make people’s lives happy, healthy and comfortable”, he reiterated.

Stressing that scientific research should be relevant to society, he said, in this context, translational research assumes importance. He lauded JNCASR for having generated over 300 patents and for promoting the establishment of a few startups based on indigenous inventions.

While noting that JNCASR was known for conducting research in a wide range of areas, he advised the scientists and researchers to undertake research in new emerging fields like synthetic biology, computational biology, high-performance engineering materials and artificial intelligence. Terming agriculture as ‘basic culture of the country’, the Vice President also wanted the scientists to focus their attention on issues faced by the farming community.

Observing that science is the backbone for the progress and technological advancement of any country, the Vice President referred to India’s huge demographic dividend and said the need of the hour is to inculcate scientific temper from a young age and to promote world-class scientific research that addresses societal problems.

Lauding JNCASR for having made an excellent impact on the international arena by positioning itself among the top institutions in its areas of expertise, he said it can contribute immensely towards fostering scientific temper in the country and improving research outcomes.

Referring to the National Education Policy 2020, he said it will ensure that students have access to new teaching and learning strategies across all segments. ‘This will create the right educational ecosystem and enrich their knowledge base while also honing their skill sets”, he added.

The Vice President told the students to leave no stone unturned to achieve their goals. “Please remember that there is no substitute for hard work. You must always strive to push the boundaries and never remain content or complacent with the status quo”, he advised.

Mentioning that Bengaluru is blessed with a large number of water bodies, Naidu noted with concern that many of these water bodies are getting degraded because of people’s neglect or illegal encroachments.

He called for making all out efforts for regeneration and conservation of water bodies in Bengaluru and beyond.

Expressing his happiness over the fact that 40 % of JNCASR students are girls, the Vice President said that he wished to see similar healthy trend in other scientific institutions as well.

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu being briefed about the OxgJani- a cheap and highly portable Oxygen concentrator developed by JNCASR, in Bengaluru on August 16, 2021. (PIB)

Congratulating eminent scientist, Prof. C N R Rao, who was nominated to the prestigious International Eni Award, 2020, he complimented him for continuing to inspire young scientists not only in India but all over the globe.

The Governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka Minister of Higher Education, IT, Science & Technology and Skill Development, CN Ashwath Narayana, eminent scientist, Prof. CNR Rao and President of JNCASR, Prof. G. U. Kulkarni were among those present on the occasion. (India News Network)

ALSO READ-VP Naidu makes case for using native languages in judiciary

READ MORE-Naidu unveils wall mural of Mahatma Gandhi

Categories
-Top News India News

VP Naidu makes case for using native languages in judiciary

Addressing a virtual conference organised by ‘Telugu Kootami’ on the protection of mother tongues, Saturday, Naidu cautioned that loss of mother tongue, ultimately leads to loss of self-identity and self-esteem…reports Asian Lite News.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for the need to make the judiciary accessible for native language speakers. Referring to the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana’s recent initiative allowing a woman to speak in Telugu in court, the Vice President said the incident underlined the need for judiciary to allow people to express their problems in their mother tongues, and also deliver judgments in the regional languages.

Addressing a virtual conference organised by ‘Telugu Kootami’ on the protection of mother tongues, Saturday, Naidu cautioned that loss of mother tongue, ultimately leads to loss of self-identity and self-esteem. It would be possible to preserve various aspects of our heritage – music, dance, drama, customs, festivals, traditional knowledge – only by preserving our mother tongue, he said.

Naidu called for innovative and collaborative efforts to protect and rejuvenate Indian languages. Stressing that preserving languages and ensuring their continuity is possible only through people’s movement, he said that people must come together in one voice and pool in efforts to pass on our heritage of language to our future generations.

Referring to various best practices in the world in preserving mother tongue, the Vice President called upon language enthusiasts, linguists, teachers, parents and the media to take insights from such countries.

He said that countries like France, Germany and Japan, while using their native tongue in various advanced disciplines like engineering, medicine and law, have proved themselves strong vis-a-vis English-speaking countries in every field. He also suggested improving scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages in order to facilitate wider reach.

Touching upon various people-driven initiatives needed to preserve Indian languages, the Vice President highlighted the important role translation plays in enriching a language. He called for increased efforts in improving the quality and quantity of translations in Indian languages. He also proposed making ancient literature more accessible and relatable to the youth in plain, spoken languages.

ALSO READ-SPECIAL REPORT: Telugus in Sri Lanka

READ MORE-KHOONI VAISAKHI: A Tribute to Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs