President Pranab Mukherjee speaks in the wake of Dadri lynching that India's core values that is diversity, tolerance and plurality should be preserved and these have kept India together over centuries.

“We should not allow the core values of our civilisation to wither away. Over the years, our civilisation has celebrated diversity, plurality and promoted and advocated tolerance. These values have kept us together over the centuries,” President said.
 

“Many ancient civilisations have collapsed but the Indian civilisation has survived because of its core civilisational values and adherence to them. If we keep them in mind, nothing can prevent our nation from forging ahead. Indian democracy is a marvel and we must celebrate, preserve and promote its strengths,” he added.

Speaking on the years of coalition rule, the President said, “Despite their diversity and despite having a long period of absence of single-party majority, the Indian electorate decisively decided to make an end of that. Many of us thought that perhaps an era of coalition has been reached and that no single party will ever come (to power). In true sense, the marvel of Indian democracy has its own strength and we must celebrate that.”

‘The Nationalist President - Pranab Mukherjee’

It was a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, that the President was presented ‘The Nationalist President - Pranab Mukherjee’, a coffee table book edited by Prabhu Chawla, The New Indian Express editorial director. Vice President Hamid Ansari released the book Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - Minister of State for Minority Affairs and few others were among others present at the function.

According to Ansari, the book is tribute to a renowned personality with load of experience along with the depth of understanding. Rajnath Singh said that Mukherjee dominated the politics in the last five years and is an eminent leader besides a consensus-builder.

- Sumana