Leave political spectacles behind while going on foreign visit: Vice President Dhankhar

New Delhi [India], April 10 : In an apparent dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for giving critical speeches on foreign shores, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said that people should leave their "political spectacles" behind while embarking on a foreign visit.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Scientific Convention on World Homoeopathy Day at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital, Dhankhar said, "We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood."

"Have you ever noticed a foreign dignitary or foreign national on a visit to this great democracy decrying or criticising his nation? The answer is an obvious no. Why cannot we take pride in our scientists, health warriors and compliment our innovation?" Dhankhar asked.

He said we must compliment our own talent and that we are doing a lot of damage by not following this.

"Whenever you go outside the country, leave the political spectacles here. It is good for the country as well as for the individual," Dhankhar added.

This is not the only time, the Vice President hit out at the Congress leader over his remarks in the United Kingdom.

Last month, Dhankhar said, "While India is having its moments of glory G20 presidency, some parliamentarians are engaged in the thoughtless unfair denigration of our well-nurtured democratic values."

"Such misplaced campaign mode to taint and tarnish our parliament and constitutional entities is too serious and exceptional to be ignored or countenanced. No political strategy or partisan stance can justify compromising of our nationalism and democratic values," Dhankhar had said.

Earlier Gandhi had stoked a controversy with his "democracy under attack" remark, which he said during his speech at Cambridge University in UK.

"Indian democracy is under attack and is under pressure. I am an Opposition leader in India and we are navigating that space. What is happening is that the institutional framework which is required for a democracy Parliament, a free press, the judiciary; these are all getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy," Gandhi had said.