Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said politics can wait but development cannot, and asserted that development should not be seen through the political prism.
Attending an Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) event via video conferencing, Modi also released a special postal stamp to mark the centenary celebrations of the university. This is the first time in five decades that a Prime Minister has attended an AMU event as the chief guest.
In his address, the Prime Minister said, "Politics can wait, but development cannot".
Without naming anyone, he said development should not be seen through the political prism.
"People spreading negativity can be seen everywhere," he said without elaborating.
His remarks assume significance in the background of the nearly month-long farmers' protest against three farm laws enacted by the Centre.
"There is need to have a common ground to build a new India, that (ground) is Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said.
Modi noted with satisfaction that the dropout rate of Muslim girl students has reduced in the past few years.
He also said that the malpractice of triple talaq has ended.
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank recalled the achievements of the AMU over the century and contributions of its alumni in various walks of life.
The last time a prime minister attended an event at AMU was Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964. Before him, then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had visited the AMU four times.
Nehru had visited the campus for first time in 1948, when an honorary doctorate was conferred on him at the annual convocation, followed by visits in 1955, 1960 and 1963.