Pranab Mukherjee asks ruling party, Opposition to maintain harmony

‘I always thought that democracy runs on three ‘D’s- dedication, debate and discussion’

President Pranab Mukherjee.

President Pranab Mukherjee has given clear messages to maintain “harmony” to both the ruling and the opposition party, while speaking from two different platforms here on Sunday.

While in one of the programmes hosted and attended mainly by the leaders and supporters of the State Congress Mr. Mukherjee underscored the need to maintain discipline inside the Parliament, in another programme hosted by the Church of North India [CNI] he highlighted the importance to maintain “pluralistic ideals” of the country.

In the Congress programme— hosted in memory of second Chief Minister of Bengal Bidhan Chandra Roy— the President said that continuous “disruption [inside the House] is not acceptable.” “I always thought that democracy runs on three ‘D’s- dedication, debate and discussion. But now the key word is ‘disruption’ and it is not acceptable.” He said that “such continuous agitation may not produce any result.”

Mr. Mukherjee also reminded the audience that “Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya Hey' was declared national anthem by the first President of the country Dr Rajendra Prasad” in 1950. His comments came as the organisers played the national song– Vande Matram– soon after the President took to stage. The former State Congress president, Somendranath Mitra, who was the convener of the programme later apologised and said that the norm is to play “national anthem and not the song in presence of the President” which precisely the organisers did.

Earlier in another programme organised by the Diocese of Kolkata under the CNI, the President said that the “fabric of our society” will remain strong as long as every individual regardless of “caste, creed, language, region and religion will be able to take part in its progress without fear and prejudice.” “It is the mosaic of being multi-religious society that makes our nation an oasis of peaceful co-existence and communal harmony,” said Mr Mukherjee. He added that here the Christian community is looked upon with “respect” for their peaceful nature and “magnanimous contribution” to the process of “nation building.” Referring to the “pluralistic ideals” of the country he said that several religions have peacefully thrived in the country due to its “assimilative character” that defines the Indian civilisation.

Earlier in the day while inaugurating a statue of Lord Shiva in Howrah he said that cleaning the Ganga was as important as “worshipping” the river.