NEW DELHI: In an oblique reference to the controversial BBC documentaries, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday there is a need to "effectively counter the doctored narratives" that threaten to run down India's growth story.The Vice President was interacting with a group of Indian Information Service probationers where he underlined the need to remain "ever alert and vigilant" as things have a tendency to go viral in a split second these days.

"Unmindful of the situations that it may be doctored, it may not be fully analysed and, therefore, a vicious tendency has grown particularly amongst so-called intelligentsia in our country that anything coming from outside is sanctified, elevated coming from minds that have to be respected.

We have to question it," Dhankhar said.

Referring to the trainee officers as the "real protectors of democracy and nationalism", Dhankhar pointed to the "dumping of information" as "another way of invasion" which called for bold and effective neutralisation meachanisms.The VP also said officers no longer have the luxury of a delayed response, and added that a "false narrative" to run down a country could not be deployed in the name of freedom of expression."How come Indian mind immediately absorbs something, does not analyse - what if you compare vicious mechanism designed to float a narrative to run down the growth story of this country all in the name of freedom of expression...

Freedom of expression is valuable, inalienable and no country in the world has respected more than that we have in this country and that is why when we have that dark chapter of Emergency, the darkest chapter of Indian history and that was the time when judiciary was also in the talk," Dhankhar said.

Though the VP made no direct reference to the British broadcaster or the controversial contents of the two-part documentary series on the 2002 Gujarat riots, he made it amply clear that the "narrative" needs correction.

"Everything can be white-washed...

if you are not vigilant...

In last decade or so, a narrative was set a forth by a global news house...

Now, if India is on the rise, sinister designs are there to set afloat a narrative by free fall of information.

We have to be alert.

This is another way of invasion.

We have to boldly neutralise it.

We have to still in us spirit of nationalism...We cannot allow free fall of doctored narratives to run down our growth story on so called reputations," the VP added.

Dhankar also said, "Examine and you will find those reputations are not firm.

Those reputations have failed humanity, in recent years."