They cannot digest the fact that India is on the rise: VP Naidu on Western media

New Delhi: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that India is the most secular country in the world, despite that, the western media belittle the Indian government on issues of secularism and free speech.

He added that they cannot digest the fact that India is on the rise. Some of them suffer from indigestion.

"There is a trend in Western media to run down the Indian government on issues of secularism, free speech. They cannot digest the fact that India is on the rise. Some of them suffering from indigestion...India is the most secular country in the world," Naidu said while speaking at a book launch event in Delhi.

"There are instances of individuals here and there... but as a whole, we practice secularism because it's in the blood, nerves and veins of Indians not because of this government or that government...Respecting all religions is our age-old practice," he added.

"The functioning of democracy in the country conforms to the constitutional principles of ensuring equal rights and justice for all citizens," he added.

Naidu was speaking at the event of the launching of English and Hindi versions of books titled "Democracy, Politics and Governance" authored by A. Surya Prakash, Vice Chairman of Executive Council of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.

Naidu complimented him for coming out with effective evidence-based counter-narratives in the backdrop of recent adverse reports on its functioning by some western and American agencies.

Earlier on Friday, on the occasion of Constitution Day, Naidu asserted that the functioning of democracy in the country conforms to the Constitutional principles of ensuring equal rights and justice for all citizens and it needs no validation from any external agencies.