In the backdrop of India targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan, Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said every Indian had today realised the power, perspective and vision of the governance and it had elevated the spirit of every citizen of the country.

He was speaking at the release of Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya’s autobiography, ‘Janta Ki Kahani Meri Aatamkatha’, at Maharashtra Sadan here.

Saying that no interest – personal, political or economic – could be above the national interest, Mr. Dhankhar emphasised that “expression” and “debate” were complimentary in a democratic system and cannot survive without each other. “Democracy cannot survive without expression and if the person believes that whatever he is saying is correct then the expression is meaningless. If we stray away from expression and debate, then ego and arrogance will come which is very painful for both democracy and an individual,” said the Vice-president, recalling how Mr. Dattatraya himself followed this principle in his life to open debate with the Naxalites in 1984.

The autobiography is a personal and historically significant work that presents an in-depth account of the life and journey of Mr. Dattatraya, who served as Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh pracharak for long before entering active politics with the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Originally written in Telugu, the book was later translated into Hindi. Through this, readers will get to read the story of Mr. Dattatraya’s personal experiences and political evolution.

Born on June 12, 1947, Mr. Dattatraya served as Union Minister of State for Railways in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2002, besides holding several other portfolios and positions in the party for the past over four decades.

Mr. Dattatraya said three Cs – character, commitment and conviction – were the important aspects of life and every challenge could be faced by imbibing these three traits. He said he came from a very humble background, his mother being a street vendor, and had never dreamt to be a Minister or a Governor, but only aimed to dedicate his life to the welfare of the common man. Mr. Dattatraya said he was not a poet or a writer, but was encouraged by the people around him to audio record his experiences during the COVID-induced lockdown and this later took the form of a book.

Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal praised the Governor as “truly an epitome of humility” and said that his book showcased the story of a simple human being. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy also addressed the gathering.

Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Anurag Thakur and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini were also present.

BJP’s Raja Iqbal Singh at the MCD headquarters on April 25, shortly before winning the election for the Mayor’s office.
| Photo Credit: file photo

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will hold elections on May 22 for two vacancies in its Standing Committee and for the posts of chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of 12 ward committees, the civic agency said on Friday.

The polls for the two seats on the 18-member panel were necessitated after the councillors representing ward numbers 71 and 164 resigned upon winning the February 5 Delhi Assembly election.

As per the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the respective ward committees, comprising the area councillors, will now elect new members to the Standing Committee — the MCD’s main decision-making arm with executive powers to grant approval to projects worth over ₹5 crore.

The deadline for nominations is May 16.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to the helm of the municipal corporation following its victory in the April 25 mayoral elections. Newly elected Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh has listed getting the MCD panel, which has been dysfunctional for the past two years, up and running among his priorities.