Jammu and Kashmir is integral part of India, let's make it clear: Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu asserted on Friday that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so. He also said that everyone should leave aside their political differences and come together on the issue of national security.

Venkaiah Naidu had earlier visited the campus of the Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan in West Bengal to inaugurate the renovated 'Shyamali' building - a mud house often used by Rabindranath Tagore as his summer retreat.

Sharing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concern over "population explosion" in the country, Vankaiah Naidu said that the people of India must not depend on imported food security.

"After 72 years of independence, we must think. We are one of the largest [in terms of the population] but we don't have lands. For a country like India, we cannot depend on imported food security. We need homegrown food. We must control the population."

Venkaiah Naidu also mentioned former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on



his first death anniversary and said that he was a great human being who believed in the core Indian values of harmony.

"The actual implementation of reforms started during Ataljis regime. During his regime, people across the globe started respecting India," he said.

Earlier in the day, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said he joins the nation in remembering the former prime minister on his death anniversary.

"I offer my tributes to the tallest leader of our times...Atal Ji brought systematic changes in the governance of the country through technology, innovation, and research to improve the lives of people. He brought the connectivity revolution and paved the way for development and growth," he said.

Providing a responsive administration to the people, especially to the most vulnerable sections of the society, was central to Vajpayee's administration. He implemented the reform agenda and delivered good governance to the nation amidst great challenges, the vice president said.