On the eve of 70th Constitution Day, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the joint session of the Parliament today in the national capital. Along with him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the session.
Quoting BR Ambedkar, Ram Nath Kovind said, “All the three organs of the state, persons gracing constitutional posts, members of civil society and common citizens of India are expected to abide by Constitutional morality.”
Speaking in the House, PM Modi paid his tributes to the martyrs of the 2008 attack of 26/11.
He also said that such attacks violate India’s philosophy of Vasudhaiv kutumbakam (the world is one family). Speaking further, he also hailed the constitution of India for upholding the values of secularism to the core. As per the reports, he said, “In a way, our Constitution is the most secular in the world. We respect and appreciate people of all faiths and traditions.”
In the joint session, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy introduced a Bill to merge two Union Territories – Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli into one entity.
However, the opposition members boycotted the joint session owing to the ongoing political situation in Maharashtra. Opposition leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Shiv Sena‘s Arvind Sawant, took part in a protest in front of the Ambedkar Statue in Parliament premises. They termed the Maharashtra situation as “the murder of democracy“. Addressing the crowd gathered here, Sonia Gandhi read out the Constitution aloud.
#WATCH #ConstitutionDay: Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi reads a copy of Indian Constitution in front of the Ambedkar Statue in the Parliament. Leaders of Opposition parties are protesting in Parliament premises today, opposing govt formation in Maharashtra by BJP. pic.twitter.com/5QQiN7TMvh
— ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2019
On the related note, Congress MP Hussain Dalwai, expressing his discontent with the Maharashtra crisis, had submitted a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267. The notice pertained to point out the issue of government formation in Maharashtra by unconstitutional means.
Speaking to the media, Manmohan Singh said that the protest is not the disservice to the nation of any kind.
Former Prime Minister & Congress leader Dr. Manmohan Singh on Opposition boycotting joint session of Parliament on #ConstitutionDay: It is not a disservice to the Constitution. It's reminder to everyone that the constitutional norms are being violated by the present establishment pic.twitter.com/9yH8r0p7Jt
— ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2019