Parliament is the Gangotri of Indian Democracy, Says President

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee unveiled the Photographs of Presidents of Central Legislative Assembly and portraits of former Speakers of Lok Sabha today (February 10, 2014) at Central Hall of Parliament House.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said Indian Parliament is the Gangotri of our democracy. It represents the will and the aspirations of billion plus people of India and is the link between the people and the government. If Gangotri gets polluted, neither Ganga nor any of its tributaries can stay unpolluted. It is incumbent upon all Parliamentarians that they maintain the highest standards of democracy and parliamentary functioning.

The President said the Parliament, like other organs of the Government, is not sovereign and owes its origin and authority. The prime function of the Parliament is to enact legislations to empower the people on every front - social, economic and political, to exercise control over Executive and making it accountable in all respects. The validity of a law, whether Union or State, is tested by judiciary as defined in the Constitution.

The President said our Parliament has evolved well-developed processes and procedures. The Parliament functions through Debate, Dissension and finally Decision and not through disruption. In order to strengthen our Parliamentary functioning and other democratic institutions, it is important that all stakeholders – Government, political parties, their leaders and Parliamentarians do some introspection and follow sound parliamentary conventions and rules.

This release issued at 1145 hrs