SOURCE : NEW18 NEWS
Last Updated:May 17, 2025, 16:44 IST
National interest must remain the core focus of all economic and strategic decisions, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar says India must reassess its travel and import choices that may end up boosting the economies of hostile nations. (PTI File Image)
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday urged citizens to reflect on the idea of economic nationalism, saying that people cannot help the economies of nations, through import or travel, that are inimical to the interests of India.
“Can we afford to empower countries that are inimical to our interests? The time has come for each of us to seriously reflect on economic nationalism,” he said while speaking at an event in Delhi. He stressed that India must reassess its travel and import choices that may end up boosting the economies of hostile nations.
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Dhankhar asserted that national interest must remain the core focus of all economic and strategic decisions. “We can no longer afford, by travel or import, to improve economies of those countries because of our participation. And those countries, in times of crisis, are positioned against us,” he said.
His remarks come in the backdrop of growing concerns about countries like Turkiye, which has openly sided with Pakistan and criticised India’s counter-terror operations in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the Operation Sindoor. Turkiye has also supplied drones to Pakistan, which were used during military tensions with India. Similarly, Azerbaijan has publicly expressed support for Pakistan on several occasions.
Following this, a huge number of Indian travellers have cancelled their trips to Turkiye.
They have also cancelled destinations in the country. With each wedding valued at about $3 million, Turkey could see up to $90 million in direct losses from cancellations.
Airports in India have also cancelled the permit of Turkey-based Celebi, a provider of airport ground handling in India. The move came after aviation watchdog BCAS on Friday revoked the security clearance of Çelebi Ground Handling India Pvt Ltd – which operated under the umbrella of Turkey’s Çelebi Aviation Holding at major Indian airports – “in the interest of national security” with immediate effect.
(With Inputs from PTI)
- First Published:
May 17, 2025, 16:44 IST
