Updated on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 23:39 IST Tags:Patil, India

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday said irrespective of the languages spoken, citizens of the country are united and asked not to follow the "wrong way" shown by some people.

Patil's remarks followed Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's criticism against cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for his "Mumbai-for-all" remarks.

"Someone may speak Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya or Telugu.... language may be different but we are all united," Patil said while addressing a group of Kashmiri students at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"We all should live together... if someone shows us a wrong way, we should not follow, Patil said.

"When you travel to other parts of the country you get to understand other parts. There is always unity in diversity," she said.

The First Citizen also asked the students, primarily from Budgam and Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir brought by the Army under 'Operation Sadbhavana', to communicate their experiences about other parts of the country with their friends.

She told the students that they are the kids of India and not only of Kashmir.

Bureau Report