Vijaywada

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday cautioned against forces and vested interests that are threatening the nation's peace and integrity through a divisive agenda.

He was speaking at a function to release a book on the life journey of freedom fighter and journalist Damaraju Pundarikakshudu.

Stressing that it is 'not Indian culture to denigrate any culture, religion or language', he called upon every citizen to take responsibility to thwart such attempts to weaken India, unite and guard the nation's interests.

The Vice President underscored that India's civilisational values teach respect and tolerance towards all cultures and sporadic incidents cannot undermine India's secular ethos.

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Decrying attempts made to diminish India's image on the international stage, Naidu reiterated that India's parliamentary democracy and pluralistic values are a model to emulate for the world.