Former PresidentPranabMukherjeetoday hailed the contribution of B R Ambedkar saying he ensured that the country did not opt for the presidential form of government like in other constitutions.
Our Constitutionremains very important and relevant even 68 years after it was adopted and many times it "counts", he said.
He was speaking at the celebration of B R Ambedkar Jayanti at the Indian Association For The Cultivation Of Science(IACS), a scientific research institute in the city.
Narrating an incident that took place during his days in office, Mukherjeesaid that he had to intervene in one case asking the Prime Ministerto advise a Governorwho had been indicted by the Supreme Court He, however, did not name the Governoror the state.
"I had to tell the PM, Mr PM you advise the Governorwho has been indicted by the Supreme Courtin its judgement for his indiscretion and wrong interpretation of the Constitutionas a consequence of dismissing an elected government which had been highly censured by the SC."
"I said he should quit," Mukherjeesaid.
"Of course he listened to the advice of the PM...," he said.
The former Presidentsaid the country has adopted the parliamentary form of government whose essence is flexibility.
"When the Constitutionstipulates the Governor's tenure will depend on the pleasure of the Presidentit means pleasure of the government which is an elected government. And there lies no scope of any discretionary power," he observed.
Paying tributes to Ambedkar whom he called "the Principal Architectof the Constitution", he said it remained a charter for transformation of socio-economic conditions of the vast multitude of people of the country.
He said Ambedkar had "ensured that the country did not opt for the presidential form of government like in other constitutions".
On the IACS, he said it was founded in 1876 by another great visionary and an acclaimed medical practitioner of his time Dr Mahendralal Sircarfor advancement in scientific research.
"Sircar, like Ambedkar, was a great son of the country," he added.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)