New Delhi, Jun 20: President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament for the second time this year.
Dressed in a cream ‘bandgala’, Kovind was on Thursday accorded a ceremonial honour by the President’s Bodyguard (PBG) as he walked down the stairs of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Kovind chose a car over buggy for his journey to Parliament complex. A batch of horse-mounted guards were already in their formation — one batch acting as a pilot while another followed him.
Separately, two horse-mounted guards walked in the front and two others in the rear.
The PBG is a horse-mounted unit of the Indian Army.
It is rare to see the horse-mounted guards accompany the President outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The capital usually gets the visual treat only thrice a year. However, this year it is happening for the fourth time.
The horse-mounted guards accompany the President during the Republic Day and Beating Retreat ceremony.
The only other time when the President steps out with the horse-mounted unit is during his address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
It is customary that the President addresses the joint sitting of Parliament before the Budget, besides the joint sitting after a new Lok Sabha is elected.
Kovind had addressed the joint sitting of Parliament during the interim budget in February this year.
As Kovind reached Parliament Complex, he was received by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the newly elected Speaker Om Birla.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday asked the Members of Parliament to seriously ponder over the proposal of simultaneous polls, terming it “development oriented”. In his address to both Houses of Parliament, he stated that the people of the country had “demonstrated their wisdom by delivering a clear verdict” in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In the hour-long address, President Kovind also flagged the government’s move to push forward with the triple talaq Bill in this session, its decision to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on a priority basis and strong response to terror after the attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14 last.
“‘One nation simultaneous election’ is the need of the hour, which would facilitate accelerated development, thereby benefiting our countrymen. With such a system in place, all political parties, according to their respective ideologies, will be able to better utilise their energy towards development and public welfare,” he said.
The government had taken steps to curb infiltration by deciding to implement the NRC, currently being updated in Assam, on a priority basis in areas affected by infiltration. While the government was working to identify infiltrators, it was also fully committed to protecting those who were victims of persecution due to their faith in neighbouring countries, via the Citizenship Act, but that it would be amended to protect linguistic, cultural and social identities, he said.
The amendments to the Act were necessitated by huge protests in the Northeast, particularly in Assam, early this year.
President Kovind commended the government for acting tough on terror after the Pulwama attack. “India has amply demonstrated both her intent and capabilities, first through surgical strikes and then through air strikes after Pulwama on terrorists hideouts across the border. In future too, all possible steps will be taken to ensure our security,” he said. The “whole world stands with India on the issue of terrorism, the designation of Masood Azhar, responsible for the dastardly terrorist attacks on our soil, as a global terrorist by the United Nations is a major testimony to this fact.”
Mr. Kovind said India would host a G-20 summit in 2022, a sign of its “new image”.
The “eradication of social evils like triple talaq and nikah halala” was imperative and all members should cooperate in such efforts. The Union Cabinet had cleared a fresh bill on triple talaq and is expected to table it in this session of Parliament.
The President concluded his remarks by referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman as a guiding principle for all MPs. “My advice to all MPs is that you should always remember the fundamental ‘mantra’ of Gandhiji. He had said that every decision of ours should be guided by its impact on the poorest and weakest person in society,” he said.
