Religion a way of worship, must be respected: Naidu

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said religion is a way of worship and culture a way of living and that the two must be respected.

Speaking at the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, he said irrespective of the different languages spoken in the country, all its people were Indians.

"Religion is a way of worship and culture is a way of living. We must respect that... Irrespective of the languages we speak, we are all Indians and we are one nation," Naidu said.

He added that though India poised to be among the top global economies in 10 to 15 years, there were challenges such as poverty to overcome.

"There are challenges like poverty. These challenges have to be fought together and everyone has to participate," Naidu said, adding that the Parliament needed to function properly to address these issues.

Naidu had represented the BJP in Parliament, before becoming the vice-president in August.

"Democracy is not about numbers. Even a party with a small representation in Parliament should be allowed to talk and be heard," he said.

Stating that the time had come for a serious introspection, he said, "There is no Emergency now. There is no chance of an Emergency. But there is an urgency to address the challenges for which the Parliament has to function."