Tried to protect, preserve Constitution, says Pranab
FAREWELL SPEECH Outgoing president hails India’s democracy, Parliament
Pranab Mukherjee hailed India’s democracy and parliament in particular during his farewell speech on Sunday when he looked back at his more than 40-year stint in politics.
Mukherjee, the 13th president of India, leaves the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, making way for his successor Ram Nath Kovind.
“If I claim I am the creation of this Parliament, perhaps it will not be treated as immodesty,” Mukherjee said in his final address to parliamentarians, in which he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support.
“As President, I’ve tried to protect, preserve, defend the Constitution, not just in letter but in spirit as well.”
Mukherjee, a Congress veteran before he was elected President in 2012, said that it was in Parliament that he understood the “real value of debate and discussion”.
“My career as a parliamentarian was mentored by Indira Gandhi. She never hesitated to call a spade, a spade.”
He praised the institution of parliament, pointing to the successful switch to the Goods and Services Tax, one of the biggest reforms in India’s indirect taxation system that required states to be on board with it.
While he praised the institution of parliament, Mukherjee expressed concerns over the declining “time devoted to legislation”. “When parliament fails to discharge its lawmaking roles, I feel it breaches the trust of the ordinary people,” he said, adding that “dissent and disruption hurt the opposition more than the government”.
In addition to disruptions, Mukherjee spoke on ordinances in particular.
“I am firm in the opinion that ordinance route should be used only in compelling circumstances and there should be no recourse to ordinances on monetary issues...,” he said.
In the closing parts of his speech, he praised Prime Minister Modi and said: “I’ll carry with me fond memories of association with PM Narendra Modi and remember his warm behaviour towards me”.
out at Pakistansponsored terrorism, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) vicepresidential nominee M Venkaiah Naidu asked Islamabad on Sunday to recall the 1971 war and said aiding and abetting terror will not help them.
Addressing Kargil Parakram Parade in New Delhi, Naidu said terrorism is the enemy of humanity, it has no religion and it has unfortunately become Pakistan’s state policy.
“Our neighbour should understand that aiding and abetting terror will not help them, they should recall what happened in 1971 and should focus on their own country and maintain peace there. Terrorism is the enemy of humanity, it has no religion. Pakistan is mixing terrorism with religion. It has unfortunately become Pakistan’s state policy,” he added.
He further said Kashmir is an integral part of India and not an “inch” of it will be allowed to be taken. “We are a peace loving people, we never attacked any country and this is our specialty. We don’t want war, we don’t want confrontation, we don’t want violence we want to have peace, we also want to have good relation with the neighbours but they should also reciprocate the same. They should remember that Kashmir is an integral part of India and not an inch of even PoK will be allowed to be taken...”
He also squarely blamed Pakistan for funding terrorism and influencing the situation in Kashmir.