‘Insult to Tricolour very unfortunate,’ says President Kovind at joint sitting of Parliament

President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said “insult” to the Tricolour during farmers’ tractor rally on January 26 was “very unfortunate”, adding that the farm laws were passed after extensive deliberations and had “immediately benefited” 10 crore small farmers.

“Farmers recently carried out a tractor rally. However, there was violence during the protests and there were incidents of insult to the national flag at Red Fort on Republic Day. This was very unfortunate,” President Kovind said during his customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session.

If the Constitution gives us the right to freedom of expression, it also reaches us to take laws and rules seriously, he said in his address that was boycotted by over 20 opposition parties in support of the demand of protesting farmers that the three laws be repealed.

Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu raised slogans like ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ during his address and demanded repeal of the three laws. Some opposition MPs were heard raising slogans in the Central Hall’s gallery.

Noting that the Supreme Court has put the implementation of the three laws on hold, Kovind said the government will respect whatever is the decision of the apex court.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi lawmakers alleged that they were not allowed inside the House. “We protested against the President’s Address and raised slogans in support of farmers. We were not allowed inside the Central Hall, so we raised slogans at its gate. Farmers are being called traitors. So, we boycotted the address,” party MP Sanjay Singh told ANI.

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Farmers have been protesting for the past two months against the new farm laws. Their tractor rally on January 26 turned violent with protesters clashing with police at central Delhi’s ITO and Red Fort. The protesters climbed up the ramparts of the historic fort and hoisted religious flags.