Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday advised other nations, including those in the neighbourhood, to refrain from commenting on the country's internal matters and asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir was taken in the larger interest to protect the unity, integrity safety and sovereignty of the country.
Asking the other nations to mind their own issues rather than interfering in the affairs of other countries, Naidu said that the country is a parliamentary democracy and the decision to abrogate Article 370 was taken after detailed discussion in the Parliament and with the support of majority of the members.
Naidu was delivering the first Sushma Swaraj Memorial Lecture, orgsed by the Panjab University on the first death anniversary of the former external affairs minister.
"Referring to the feelings expressed by Sushma Swaraj on Article 370 before she passed away, the Vice President said that as the External Affairs Minister, she used to articulate India's position quite efficiently and in a sweet and sober manner. But at the same time, she used to convey the stand of the country in a firm manner," the Vice President's Secretariat said in an official statement.
The statement said that Naidu paid a glowing tribute to late Sushma Swaraj and described her as an ideal Indian woman and an able administrator who left an indelible imprint on every position she ever held.
"Urging young politicians to look up to her as a role model and emulate her qualities, Naidu said Sushma Ji was a wonderful human being, who was always considerate and prompt in her response for any request, be it friends, supporters or people at large," the statement said.
He said that the fact that she was elected to the Lok Sabha on seven occasions and to the Assembly thrice shows how immensely popular she was with the people.
Referring to her qualities, he said her wit, humane nature and promptness in responding to any problem were in full display on the social media when she was the External Affairs Minister.
The Vice President said Swaraj was a brilliant orator and recalled the effective manner in which she described 'Bharatiyata' during a debate in Lok Sabha in 1996. The purity of language, choice of words and clarity of thought were some of the factors that made her a popular speaker, he added.
Describing Swaraj as an epitome of Indian culture, the Vice President said that she was a blend of modern thinking and traditional values. He said Sushma Swaraj used to be like a family member and recalled how she used to visit their residence and tie Rakhi on his wrist for Raksha Bandhan.
( With inputs from ANI )