India does not need rubber stamp President: Yashwant Sinha
Yashwant Sinha, the candidate of joint Opposition nominee in the presidential election, on Wednesday said a “thinking and speaking” person should be the resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan and not a rubber stamp.
Criticising the presentation of nomination papers of NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said he presented his papers by himself.
“India needs a Rashtrapati who serves as the impartial custodian of the Constitution and not one who acts as a rubber stamp for the government. The President must have a mind of his/her own and use it conscientiously, without fear or favour, whenever the executive or other institutions of the Republic deviate from the Constitutional principles. It is my solemn assurance to the people of India that I shall serve as a President worthy of the lofty vision of the makers of the Constitution,” Sinha said while speaking to reporters.
The former union minister also criticised the Agnipath, the new defence recruitment scheme, brought out by the Union government, and said no necessary consultations were made before going ahead with its introduction.