`Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas a Gandhian thought, above politics`: VP Jagdeep Dhankar

Speaking on 90th foundation day of Harijan Sevak Sangh, Jagdeep Dhankhar asserted that every person, irrespective of his power or history, is bound by the law of the land. He also said that Narendra Modi government`s philosophy of `Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas` is a Gandhian thought

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government's philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas' is a Gandhian thought and it rises above "all politics", Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Saturday. He also described as "a very dangerous trend" the belief among a section of the people that only the philosophy they believed in was right, adding Mahatma Gandhi listened to every point of view.

He was speaking at an event to mark the 90th foundation day of Harijan Sevak Sangh here. Asserting that all are equal before the law, he said every person, irrespective of his power or history, is bound by the law of the land.

Keeping in mind Gandhi's principles, 90 crore people were provided with free food and grain during the two years of Covid. This was beyond any country's imagination, Dhankhar said. "The Mahatma's soul will be satisfied" as the government ensured two doses of coronavirus vaccine to crores of people during the pandemic, he added.

Dhankhar said it was Gandhi's ideology that 18 crore families were given free cooking gas connections to help them get rid of conventional fuels to prepare food. Further, he said people who were once scared of entering banks were connected to banking at their doorsteps.

Emphasising that Gandhian ideals permeate into the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of the Constitution, he said that Bapu's teachings will remain eternally relevant to humanity.

"Humanity will greatly benefit from the principles espoused by Mahatma Gandhi. The many crises facing the world today - from poverty to climate change to wars - Gandhi Ji's thoughts provide a solution to all," the vice president said.

Observing that Gandhiji's idea of swaraj meant the uplift of the last person in the queue, the Vice President said the government's schemes of food security, vaccination, and universal banking are all in the Gandhian spirit.

"It is gratifying to note that, in recent years there is the emergence of an ecosystem that in consensus with Gandhian philosophy, is ensuring full exploitation of potential and talent of all, particularly of the marginalised," Dhankhar said.

The vice president also paid rich tributes to B R Ambedkar, quoting from his last speech in the Constituent Assembly that said "political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy".