India needs no lesson on religious freedom: Vice President

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said yesterday that India needs no “lessons” from anybody on religious freedom as this is a fundamental right granted under the Constitution, IANS reports from Hyderabad. “We do not need lessons from anybody. Some countries off late started giving us lectures forgetting what is happening back in their own countries,” he said in an obvious reference to the recent report on International Religious Freedom published by the US State Department.He asserted that India is a country built on the foundations of a civilisation that is fundamentally tolerant and religious freedom is a fundamental right granted under Articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution.If at all one has to grade the countries, the most secular country in the world is India, he said in his address at the convocation of the Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology, a minority institution, in Hyderabad.Terming discrimination in the name of religion, caste and gender a “mental illness”, he said the people should protect themselves from it by bringing a change in their attitude.Telangana Home Minister Mahmood Ali, Osmania University Vice Chancellor Prof S Ramachandram, MJCET Director Dr Basheer Ahmed, Principal Prof Sitarammaiah, Sultan ul Uloom Education Society Chairman Khan Lateef Khan and Secretary Zafar Javeed were also present.