NEW DELHI, Sept 10: The Congress on Wednesday extended its best wishes to vice president elect C P Radhakrishnan and recalled the words of India’s first Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in the Rajya Sabha in 1952, highlighting that a democracy risks “degenerating into a tyranny if it does not allow the opposition groups to criticise fairly, freely, and frankly the policies of the government.”
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, “While extending best wishes to Shri C P Radhakrishnan, the newly-elected Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Indian National Congress recalls the wise words of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the very first Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.”
Ramesh cited the philosopher-educator’s statement from May 16, 1952: “I belong to no party, and that means I belong to every party in this House. It shall be my endeavour to uphold the traditions, the highest traditions, of parliamentary democracy and act towards each party with fairness and impartiality… A democracy is likely to degenerate into a tyranny if it does not allow the opposition groups to criticise fairly, freely, and frankly the policies of the Government.”
“Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan practised what he preached, both in letter and spirit,” Ramesh added.
C P Radhakrishnan, the NDA candidate, secured a decisive victory in the vice presidential polls, receiving 452 votes against opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy’s 300 votes. Following the results, the Congress described the BJP’s “arithmetical” victory as a “moral and political defeat,” noting the Opposition’s united and respectable performance.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended best wishes to Radhakrishnan while expressing gratitude to Reddy for his spirited and principled fight as the Opposition’s joint candidate. Ramesh highlighted that the Opposition secured 40% of votes in this election, up from 26% in 2022, reinforcing that “the ideological battle continues undiminished.”