Opposition's duty to oppose, expose and if possible depose, says President

The President invoked former PM Indira Gandhi and says that she believed that the electoral defeat does not change the role of the Opposition

It is the Opposition's duty to oppose, expose and if possible depose, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Saturday while speaking at the Indira Gandhi Centenary Lecture.

To drive home the point, the President invoked former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who "believed that the electoral defeat does not change the role of the Opposition".

"The second split of 1978 in the Congress needs to be properly understood. Indiraji did not have major differences with Congress leaders like Y B Chavan and Brahmanand Reddy.

"She cooperated with them. However, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) became a forum for Indira baiting. The then leaders of the Congress party felt that the people had punished the party for the emergency," he said.

"The people would not pardon the party if it didn't cooperate with the ruling Janata Party. Indiraji, however, believed that the electoral defeat does not change the role of the Opposition. It is the Opposition's duty to oppose, expose and if possible, depose," he said about the former Prime Minster.

Mukherjee said demonstrating her fighting spirit, Indiraji adopted an attitude of challenge and confrontation.

"She argued that it was immaterial whether the Congress Party won or lost an election, what was important was continued and uninterrupted service to the people," said Mukherjee.