New Delhi:
Meira Kumar express her gratitude to Sonia Gandhi for selecting Presidential Candidate.
Meira Kumar has issued the following statement to the press today:-
I would like to express my gratitude to Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and the esteemed leaders of the seventeen political parties for their unanimous decision to nominate me as the presidential candidate. It is indeed an honour.
The post of the President carries the responsibility of safeguarding and defending our constitutional principles. It embodies the diversity of our socio-political culture and the vision of our composite ideology. It transcends the considerations of caste, religion or region. The post is not symbolic; it articulates, in the fullest sense, the basis of our electoral philosophy – that capability and experience must always supersede all other considerations.
The values I hold dear – of inclusiveness, social justice and pluralism – are the values the President must uphold as the supreme representative of our nation. If these values are undermined so is our Constitution, and India can then not hope to achieve the progressive modernity envisioned by its founding fathers and reflected in the collective will of its people.
I appeal to all the honourable members of the collegium to base their decision on these cherished principles and secure them for our future generations.