President Pranab Mukherjee gave his farewell speech in the Central Hall of the Parliament on Sunday and it took all the Parliamentarians by surprise. In his speech, Mukherjee mentioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi, thanking her for her “passionate support on social legislation,” reports Indian Express. This reference to Sonia Gandhi by Mukherjee took the ruling party by surprise. According to Indian Express, the written speech which was distributed amongst Parliamentarians did not, anywhere, refer to Sonia.
However, the members of the Congress party were surprised that Mukherjee did not mention the late Rajiv Gandhi anywhere in his speech, as he mentioned several other political leaders. The President thanked all the members of Parliament for their support and also for the warm farewell he received. Mukherjee had on Sunday said, “If I claim I am the creation of this Parliament, perhaps it will not be treated as immodesty”.
However, he also spoke about the recent misbehaviour that took place in Parliament, repeatedly. As reported by Indian Express, Mukherjee said, “It is unfortunate that parliamentary time devoted to legislations has been declining.” He expressed his regret over repeated adjournments of both the houses because of protests and walk outs. Mukherjee’s farewell speech represented his values that he considered while maintaining the office. He called himself a creation of the Parliament which is an important platform for discussions and debates.
Sumitra Mahajan, the speaker of the Lower House, said that the farewell on Sunday was an occasion for all members to show their respect towards Pranab Mukherjee. On Monday, when Mukherjee addressed the nation, he reiterated that the Parliament was his temple and the Constitution was his sacred text. His final words, as the President of India, showed his deep concern towards the nation, as reported.