Venkaiah Naidu said in India women are worshipped as goddess. (File photo)

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday blamed colonial and foreign rule in India for the lack of respect towards women which was leading to crimes against them.Without mentioning the barbaric rape of an eight-year-old girl child in Kathua recently or the rape controversy involving a BJP lawmaker in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Naidu said that the Indian tradition had always given a lot of respect to women.Addressing the 31st Convocation of the Kurukshetra University, in the historical town of Kurukshetra, around 100 km from Chandigarh, he said that as per the Indian tradition, the country is called 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India) while major rivers were given female names and worshipped.The vice president said that it was shameful that despite such traditions, women were not getting the respect they deserved and that foreign rule, over the centuries, was responsible for this.Urging the youth and students to shun violence, he said that issues could be resolved peacefully and without damaging public property."Democracy allows meaningful debates on all pertaining problems and only constructive debate can provide answers. Protest should be peaceful and no one has the right to destruct public property. Violence cannot be a solution," Mr Naidu said.He asked students to be disciplined and have an outlook for the development of the country.Pointing out to a direct linkage between education and employment, he asked students to acquire knowledge and skill to take up new opportunities.

"Education is not just for employment. It is also for enhancement of knowledge and enlightenment," he added.