Samvidhan Divas: Prime Minister said that BR Ambedkar would have been the happiest today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Speaker Om Birla were among the top leaders who greeted the countrymen on the occasion of Constitution Day on Tuesday.
Addressing members of both the Houses of Parliament, the Prime Minister said that BR Ambedkar would have been the happiest today because India has "strengthened both its independence and democracy".
He urged the citizens to think of how they can fulfill the duties enshrined in the Constitution, including by saving water and paying taxes.
"As a true sentinel of the Constitution, the Modi government is committed to work for the welfare of the 130 crore Indians as well as to maintain the unity and integrity of the country by following the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar ji. Greetings to all the countrymen on the Constitution Day," he said.
President Kovind said that the Constitution lies at the foundation of the nation, underlining that it is the supreme law in the country's democratic framework.
"It was in 2015, the 125th birth anniversary year of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar that the Govt of India decided to celebrate Nov 26, as ''Constitution Day'' every year. This is a commendable initiative to reiterate our gratitude to the chief architect of our Constitution," the President said while addressing a joint sitting of Parliament on the occasion of Constitution Day.
Speaker Om Birla urged the countrymen to abide to the values of the Constitution. "Our Constitution grants Fundamental Rights and through Directive Principles enumerates certain duties for citizens to abide by," Mr Birla said. "The perfect blend of rights and duties strengthens democracy.Let us pledge on 70th Constitution Day to build India abiding by values of the Constitution," he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended his greetings to all the citizens on the occasion.
"As a true sentinel of the Constitution, the Modi government is committed to work for the welfare of the 130 crore Indians as well as to maintain the unity and integrity of the country by following the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar ji. Greetings to all the countrymen on the Constitution Day," he tweeted.
"The Constitution is the soul of our democracy. Our constitution, which binds the world's largest democracy in the thread of unity, is also federal and unitary," the Union Minister said in another tweet.
November 26, which was earlier celebrated as Law Day, marks the day when India had adopted its Constitution back in 1949, more than two years after attaining independence from the British rule.