NEW DELHI: The CPI(M) had expelled Somnath Chatterjee from the party in 2008 for not towing its line during the trust vote against UPA-II. But on Tuesday, it showered lavish praise on the former Lok Sabha speaker, who passed away on August 13, for defending democratic institutions, federalism and secularism that, it said, are under attack in the NDA regime.
Speaking during a memorial service for the Chatterjee, CPI(M) politburo member Tapan Sen said he was a strong defender of democracy and democratic institutions. “He was also one of the biggest defender of federalism and institutions that protect federalism. The values which he defended throughout his life are under attack,” said Sen.
Remembering Chatterjee for standing firm on constitutional and democratic values, former PM Manmohan Singh said that during the no-trust vote, he chose to uphold the role of the Speaker over his love for the party.
Criticising the government, Singh said: “Our country needs strong growth to raise resources which can be redistributed. Growth without social justice can be very disruptive. It is necessary to adopt two-fold strategy of growth with a means to achieve social justice.”
Former vice-president Hamid Ansari praised Chatterjee as a man dedicated to constitution and constitutional values.
“The principles of the constitution, all summed up in the first page, are subscribed to as a ritual... We should dedicate ourselves to guarding the values of parliamentary democracy as a guarantee of freedom and the whole structure of constitutional values and institutions,” he said.