Ram temple a symbol of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat': Dhankhar in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday read out a resolution on the Ram temple, saying its inauguration on January 22 in the ancient and sacred city of Ayodhya has become a day of "national festival" and celebrations for the entire nation.
An identical resolution was passed in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.
Reading out the resolution in the Upper House of Parliament after a short duration discussion on the construction of historic Shri Ram Temple, Dhankhar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi played an exemplary role in uniting the entire nation on this auspicious occasion associated with Lord Ram.
The prime minister followed the difficult rituals with complete dedication for the consecration of the idol of Ramlalla.
Dhankhar described the temple as a symbol of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat". He said the society has played a big role in realising this historic moment.
"The temple of Lord Ram in the ancient and sacred city of Ayodhya is a historic and glorious achievement for India," he said, adding that it is also a part of the country's progress and important from cultural and historical standpoints.
"Lord Ram, Mata Sita and (the epic) Ramayana are an integral part of Indian civilisation and culture...Our democratic values and Constitution have been inspired by principles of governance and ethos of 'Ram Rajya'," he said.
Dhankhar further said the temple embodies people's faith and devotion.
"January 22, 2024 is a date which has filled every corner of the country with immense joy and enthusiasm. There was a lot of discussion about Ram temple in different cultures around the world. A sea of ​​faith was seen rising everywhere. It has become a national festival, about which our coming generations will continue to be enthralled for ages," he read.
Later, in his valedictory remarks at the conclusion of the 263rd session of Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar said in the "short but important session", the House sat for nine days dealing with 116 issues of public importance alongside answering 90 starred and 960 unstarred questions of parliamentarians.
Overall, the productivity during the session stood at an impressive 137 per cent.
He urged the members of the Upper House to ensure exemplary standards of conduct.
"As members of the Upper House, we have to ensure exemplary standards of conduct. We need to be a source of inspiration as Bharat steadfastly surges towards (becoming) a 'Viksit Rashtra' and a global leader. Let us vigorously contribute to continual, incremental rise of Bharat," he said.
In addition to the discussions on the Motion of Thanks on President's address and the interim Union Budget, the House also passed seven Bills, including Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, and Constitution Amendment Bills related to inclusion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
He mentioned that 22 Private Members’ Bills have been introduced in this session.
"It is the last session before we go for the general elections – a true festival of democracy in the mother of democracy," he said.
Bharat is making a phenomenal progress in all walks of life and is in an era of immense possibilities, he said.
"We are in 'Amrit Kaal' of our Republic. As members of the Upper House, we have to ensure exemplary standards of conduct," he said.
He mentioned that the House also bade farewell to 68 members.
"Of them, three members retired in the month of January and the remaining 65 would be retiring between February and July this year. Let me express our profound appreciation for the distinguished service rendered by each one of our esteemed retiring colleagues," Dhankhar said.
Following his valedictory remarks, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Saturday, marking the conclusion of the Budget session of Parliament. The Budget session, the last before the Lok Sabha elections due in April-May, began on January 31. PTI
