President remembered his “mentor” former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, said I am a creation of Parliament
New Delhi,24rth July: President Mukherjee remembered his “mentor”, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a “towering personality” while addressing the lawmakers at the central Hall of Parliament Yesterday. He said, “My career was mentored by Mrs Indira Gandhi who was a towering personality. She had the courage to call a spade a spade,” Mukherjee said as he related an interesting incident that happened in London after the Congress’ defeat post Emergency. “After the Congress’ and her own defeat post Emergency, she went to London in 1978. A battery of media persons, in a fairly aggressive mood were waiting to ask questions. “The first question was: ‘What had been your gains from Emergency?’ Looking directly into the eyes of media persons, in a level voice she replied: ‘In those 21 months we comprehensively managed to alienate all sections of people’,” Mukherjee recalled. After a few seconds of silence, there was laughter, he said.” Nobody after that asked a question about Emergency and the media persons melted away,” he said. “Indira jee was a lady of steel. Her steeliness inspired me, Mukharjee said.
President said in his 20-minutes emotional farewell speech to MPs that, he is a creation of this Parliament,e speech, and recalled his distinguished journey from being a Congress legislator in West Bengal to holding the country’s top constitutional post and reminded the MPs of their duties. He expressed concern over the declining time devoted to legislation in Parliament and had advice for both the government and the opposition. “Parliament stands for debate, discussion, dissent and disruption hurt the opposition more.” he said. Presiden said, he has devoted 37 years of his life as Parliamentarian. He was just 34 years old when he got an opportunity to serve the nation with seasoned campaigners. As the President, he has tried to protect, preserve, defend the Constitution, not just in letter but in spirit as well.
Hailing passage of GST bill, President Mukherjee said, it shows the maturity of our democracy. Eighty one-year-old Mukherjee was received by the Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar at Parliament for the ceremony before the meeting.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR READERS