On February 2, Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar said the consecration ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya symbolised the civilisational history of India and ended the country's 500 years' pain. Dhankhar made the remarks while addressing students at the seventh convocation ceremony of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) auditorium, reported PTI.

Speaking at the event, he said, "We had a celebratory mood in the country on January 22 when there was the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya dham. What is significant about the event is that the pain of 500 years was undone on the occasion. Our aspirations fructified with a commitment to righteousness through the established procedure of law," he said.

Dhankhar asked the students to take pride in the achievements of the country and said the youth share responsibility in "neutralising" the "anti-national" narratives against India. "I become sad when I see informed minds tarnishing our image outside the country raising questions on our democratic values. Some outside elements have become hotbeds of anti-national narratives backed by teachers and students of Indian origin. The youth has to neutralise these anti-national narratives," he said.

Additionally, Dhankhar spoke about the abrogation of Article 370, which, he claimed, was rejoiced by the entire country. The event was also attended by Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar, as the guest of honour.

The convocation ceremony was presided over by JNU Chancellor Kanwal Sibal and Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. Moreover, over 800 students from the 2023-24 batch were awarded doctorate degrees during the ceremony, PTI reported.