Parliamentarians bid farewell to President Mukherjee
NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament on Sunday bid adieu to outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee at a gala ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament as leaders recalled his contribution in upholding democratic values.
Eighty one-year-old Mukherjee was received by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar at Parliament for the farewell ceremony.
In her speech, Mahajan said, "This is a solemn occasion for each one of us to express our profound respect to President Mukherjee." Asari lauded Mukherjee for his "unshakable belief in the idea of India" and said he often appealed to the people to re-dedicate themselves to the democratic values of the country.
Mukherjee also stressed upon pluralism and diversity "as the greatest strength" of the country, he said. Ansari also complimented Mukherjee for the manner in which he essayed the role of the president.
"He brought great distinction and dignity to the top office. His views on national and international issues have enhanced the stature of the office," he said. The outgoing president expressed gratitude to the parliamentarians for the farewell. "After Independence, we undertook to promote fraternity, dignity and unity of the nation. These ideals became the lodestar for the country," Mukherjee said.
He asked the members to avoid frequent disruptions in Parliament saying it hurt the opposition more. "During my years in Parliament, I learnt that it stands for debate, discussion and dissent. I also learnt that disruptions hurt the opposition more," he said.
Mukherjee also said the government should avoid the ordinance route as it should be reserved only for compelling circumstances. "It should not be taken for matters being considered for discussion (in Parliament)," he added.
Mukherjee said, "As the President, I have tried to protect, preserve and defend the Constitution, not just in letter, but in spirit as well." NEW DELHI: Finishing touches are being given to an iconic heritage bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi to welcome outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee who demits office on Sunday. The 10, Rajaji Marg mansion will now be the humble abode of 81-year-old Mukherjee as he moves out of the grand Rashtrapati Bhawan, where he had assumed office as the 13th President on July 25, 2012.
The Raj-era bungalow, endowed with sloping red-tiled roof and fitted with chimneys, has been given a fresh coat of paint while its wide lawns and gardens spruced up.
The two-storey house had also served as a retirement home for former president the late A P J Abdul Kalam till his death in 2015, after which it was allotted to Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma.
Sharma vacated the 10, Rajaji Marg house after it was allotted to Mukherjee and has shifted to the bungalow at 10 Akbar Road, a single-storey Lutyens' mansion, a senior official said.
Incidentally, the minister's official bungalow is also serving as a temporary residence of President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, who has been staying in it since filing his nomination as the NDA candidate.
And, so, while Mukherjee, after bidding farewell to Rashtrapati Bhawan, will move to the bungalow previously occupied by Sharma, Kovind will ascend to the country's first residence from the minister's present official bungalow, in what can be described as a sort of full circle to the tale of these two presidents.
The 10, Akbar Road bungalow on the day of the declaration of the presidential poll result last week, had begun to assume the aura of a residence of the Head of State, as a string of visitors, from Union ministers to senior leaders and MPS poured in to congratulate Kovind on his victory.
Both bungalows, built during the creation of the new imperial capital of the British Raj, would now be bracketed with the highest symbol of democratic India.
The two residences are also emblematic of architectural excellence as evidenced in the 10, Akbar's white pillars or the 10, Rajaji's sloping roof.
The 10, Rajaji Marg house is spread over an area of 11,776 sq ft with the ground floor housing a library and an attached reading space for Mukherjee, an avid reader.
Mukherjee retires as the President, crowning a political career of over five decades of exemplary service to the nation in the government as well as Parliament.
Kovind last served as the governor of Bihar before being elected as the successor to Mukherjee. Sharma had earlier said the urban development ministry had asked if he had any objection to vacate the bungalow at 10, Rajaji Marg.