Real dirt in our minds not on streets: Prez

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday ended up giving a left-handed compliment to the Narendra Modi government while speaking at a function at Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati ashram in Ahmedabad.

The real dirt of India lies not on the streets but in “our minds and in our unwillingness to let go of views that divide society into them and us”, said the President on Tuesday emphasizing on cleansing minds of divisive thoughts. Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of India as an inclusive nation where every section of population lived in equality and enjoyed equal opportunity, Mukherjee said the essence of being human was “our trust of each other.”

“Every day, we see unprecedented violence all around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. While we invent new modes of combating this ever spiraling violence, we must not forget the power of non-violence, dialogue and reason,” said Mukherjee, who is on three-day maiden visit to Gujarat.