No scope for outside interference: Naidu on CAA Debate in European Parliament

New Delhi: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu hit out at European Union (EU) lawmakers for moving resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying India did not need "advice or guidance" and there was "no scope" for "outside" interference in India's internal matters.

Addressing a gathering after releasing the book 'TRG -- An Enigma' here, Naidu said, "Such efforts are totally uncalled for and unwarranted and I hope that they would refrain from making such statements in future."

The Vice President said that as a mature republic and democratic polity, "India is capable of addressing the concerns of its citizens and needs no advice or guidance in such matters from others".

"As a republic with 70 years of experience, we have successfully withstood various challenges. We are now more united than ever before and no one should have any concerns in this regard," Naidu said.

The Vice President also complimented the people for India's successful 71-year long journey as a republic and said that we as a nation will always be committed to justice, liberty and equality for all our citizens.

Asserting that our democracy provided enough space for expressing differences and dissent whenever warranted, the Vice President said: "Whenever basic and fundamental rights of citizens came under threat, they rose in unison and defended them, as was seen during Emergency. As a result, we have emerged as the most vibrant democracy in the world."

His remarks came when the European Parliament is set to debate and vote on a motion tabled by a large chunk of its members against India's new citizenship law, which it alleges marks a "dangerous shift" in the country's citizenship regime.