Parliament is the "Gangotri of Democracy", says Mukherjee

Terming Parliament as the "Gangotri of Democracy", President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said adherence to Constitutional principles must be a matter of top priority.

Unveiling the Photographs of Presidents of Central Legislative Assembly and portraits of former Speakers of Lok Sabha at Central Hall of Parliament House, Mukherjee 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," he added.

Asserting that the Parliament, like other organs of the Government, is not sovereign and owes its origin and authority, Mukherjee said: "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."

Stating that the Parliament has evolved well-developed processes and procedures, Mukherjee said: "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," he added.