 Early Times Report
Jammu, June 27: Appreciating residents of Kashmir Valley for voting overwhelmingly in the just concluded Parliament elections, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that democracy is strengthened in all over the country during the Lok Sabha elections
Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, the President said that the people of Kashmir have broken all records of voter turnout for many decades.
“I also express my gratitude to the Election Commission of India on behalf of crores of Indians today. This was the largest election in the world”, she said, adding, “About 64 crore voters performed their duty with enthusiasm and zeal and women cast their votes in huge numbers this time also.
Pointing toward voters’ turn-out on three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir Valley, she said, “A very heartening aspect of this election emerged from Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley broke all records of voter turnout for many decades”.
“In the last four decades, we had witnessed low voter turnout amidst shutdowns and strikes in Kashmir. Enemies of India continued to spread false propaganda at global forums, projecting it as an opinion of Jammu and Kashmir”, she said, adding, “But this time the Kashmir Valley has given a befitting reply to every such element within the country and outside”.
She further said that for the first time, the home voting facility was made available in this Lok Sabha Election.
“I convey my appreciation for the work done by all the personnel associated with the Lok Sabha elections and also extend my congratulations to them”, she further said.
Highlighting the importance of the abrogation of Article 370, the President said, “Now the Constitution has also fully come into force in that part of India, our Jammu and Kashmir, where the conditions were different due to Article 370”.
“I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha”, she said, adding, “In a few months, India is going to complete 75 years as a Republic. The Constitution of India has stood up to every challenge and every test in the past decades. Even when the Constitution was in the making, there were forces in the world who wished India to fail”.
“Even after the Constitution came into force, it was attacked many times. Today is 27th June. The imposition of emergency on 25th June 1975, was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India”, she said. |
