Prez Kovind expresses concern over disruptions in Parliament

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday expressed concern over disruptions in Parliamentary proceedings as also frequent adjournment of cases in courts to the disadvantage of poor litigants. He also said that justice in political arena is not just free and fair elections and exercise of universal adult franchisee but it also calls for improving the transparency in "campaign finance", which the government is trying to do.

Addressing the inaugural function of 'Constitution Day Celebrations' held here,

Kovind said the Constitution formalised the segregation of powers between the judiciary, the executive and the legislature and has given all three pillars the legitimate rules and responsibilities to uphold the Constitution for realising its hopes and expectations.

"The duty of safeguarding and strengthening the Constitution is a shared enterprise among all three institutions, in partnership with the people of India," he said.

Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated on November 26. The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949. It came into effect on January 26, 1950.

The President expressed his displeasure over the frequent disruption of proceedings in Parliament as also the miseries of poor litigants who have to suffer due to the adjournment of cases in courts despite the judiciary trying its best to find a solution to it.

"Disruptions in parliamentary proceedings are an unfortunate occurrence. Some have suggested that these too be seen as encroachment on the citizen's understanding of justice," he said. "Similarly, when the judiciary tries to find solutions to frequent adjournments, simply to delay cases and inconvenience the less-well-off litigant, it enhances the quality of justice," the President said.

Adoption of the Constitution was a "milestone" in India's democratic journey, he said, adding that perhaps the "most moving word" in the Constitution is justice.

"Justice is a single word. Justice is a complex and liberating expression. And justice is both the means and the goal of our constitutional and nation-building process. In the narrow sense of our legal system, justice is served when right and wrong are adjudicated upon in a courtroom," he said.

"And more so when justice is accessible, affordable and quickly available to all citizens, irrespective of background. But justice must also be seen in a wider context in terms of society's evolution and its changing beliefs, lifestyles and technologies," he said, adding that "the Constitution is nobody's preserve and it is everybody's preserve".

Kovind said that the Constitution is the modern scripture of independent India.

"To use a Latin expression, it is our 'suprema lex' (a Latin legal maxim that means welfare of the people shall be the supreme law). However, it is more than just a collection of articles and clauses. For us Indians it is an inspirational and living document, an ideal of the society we are and the even better society we are striving to be," he said.