On the eve of 70th Independence day celebrations on Sunday, President Pranab Mukherjee said that attacks on the weaker sections need to be dealt with firmly and termed them as "aberrations" that "militate against our national ethos".
"Disruptions, obstructionism & unmindful pursuit of divisive political agenda lead to institutional travesty," President Pranab Mukherjee said during his televised address to nation.
Mukherjee also praised the passage of the Goods and Services Tax Bill and said it was reason enough to celebrate India's "democratic maturity".
"In the just-concluded session of Parliament, the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of GST amid non-partisan and quality parliamentary deliberations is reason enough to celebrate our democratic maturity," Mukherjee who addressed the nation said.
Mukherjee said that nobody believed that India will survive as a democracy when it gained Independence from the British rulers in 1947, but "Indians have proved those forecasts wrong".
"The strong edifice of democracy built by our founding fathers on the four pillars of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity has withstood several threats from both within and without and has grown from strength to strength," the President added.
He said that despite the different hues of political thought, he has seen the ruling party and the opposition coming together in pursuit of the national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security of the nation.
Mukherjee also touched upon the terrorist attacks that have happened across the world and asked the world to fight them unconditionally and in one voice.
"The world has witnessed a spate of terror activities having their roots in radicalization of people on the basis of religion. The world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice," Mukherjee added.
This was President Pranab Mukherjee's fifth address to the nation as President.(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)