New Delhi, July 31: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said that the NDA government led by BJP is committed to balanced and integral development of the country without exclusion of any community, region or language. "We do not believe in, nor do we practice, the ideology of exclusion and discrimination. Doing so is completely antithetical to our belief in secularism or our understanding of Indian nationalism," he said while addressing a seminar on "development as freedom- an India perspective".

Advani said that he wished to emphasise on the issue as many well-intentioned people, including Professor Amartya Sen himself sometimes, have raised questions about "our secular credentials".

"We are prepared for an open debate on secularism. We are prepared to argue our case with anybody that the Indian concept and ethos of Sarva Panth Samabhaav are most in harmony with the ideals of freedom and development", he said.
NDA government under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was trying to translate professor Sen's ideas into reality. The Prime Minister has presented an energising vision of making India a developed nation by 2020, he added.

Bureau Report