Jaipur, July 15 (IANS) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, on Wednesday said that the spirit of humanity is far greater than political differences, while recalling an incident when she visited the Congress office after the demise of former MP Abrar Ahmed.

Raje recalled that many had questioned whether it was appropriate for a Chief Minister to visit the Opposition party’s office, but she had responded that compassion and humanity should always rise above political boundaries.

Speaking at the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly’s 75th Amrit Mahotsav celebrations in Jaipur, Raje reflected on an era when ideological differences never came at the cost of mutual respect.

She said that whenever senior legislators such as Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajendra Rathore, CP Joshi, Pradyuman Singh, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Dr. Nathu Singh Gurjar, and Rajpal Shekhawat spoke in the Assembly, members across party lines listened with complete attention.

She also praised Rao Rajendra Singh, Kali Charan Saraf, and B.D. Kalla as distinguished parliamentarians known for their eloquence and constructive debates.

Drawing from history, Raje compared the relationship between former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Haridev Joshi to that of Alexander and Porus, noting that even after defeating Porus, Alexander treated him with the dignity and respect due to a king.

She also recalled that former Prime Minister, late P.V. Narasimha Rao had entrusted former Prime Minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee with representing India at Geneva to counter Pakistan’s allegations of human rights violations, highlighting how national interest once rose above party politics.

Expressing concern over the current political climate, Raje said politics today is increasingly driven by vendetta and that the quality of public discourse has deteriorated.

She urged legislators to revive the tradition of healthy debate, mutual respect, and democratic values.

The former Chief Minister also appreciated Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma for introducing the ‘One State, One Election’ initiative.

Reflecting on her own tenure, she highlighted several landmark decisions, including 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, 24-hour domestic power supply, the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, river-linking initiatives, and the institution of the Best Legislator Award, saying these measures were aimed at strengthening governance and empowering the people of Rajasthan.

–IANS

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