NEW DELHI: Dignified in his loss, opposition vice presidential nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi said on Saturday that the results depicted the victory of the ballot and of free speech, a victory "that belonged to the people of India". I refer to those who have voted for me, and I believe the number that has voted for me is beyond the expectations of certain calculations. I thank them deeply and sincerely. They represent different political persuasions, they come from different parts of India, and they had all come together to vote for what they thought was the national good, which is the affirmation of the right to free thought, to free speech, the right to hold a different opinion, and the duty to serve the cause of pluralism and secularism in India. I would like to tell them they carry a great responsibility and a great weight on their shoulders, and that they should discharge their responsibilities in the tradition of the great parliamentarians of our country; with diligence and courage, and above all, with the word of their conscience guiding them."

Source: Times of India August 06, 2017 04:52 UTC