New Delhi, 27 September (H.S.):

Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht said on Sunday that the Delhi Assembly stands as a living testimony to the courage of great personalities who strengthened India’s democratic voice and gave a new dimension to the freedom struggle.

Bisht made the remarks while paying floral tributes to Veer Vitthalbhai Jhaverbhai Patel on his 153rd birth anniversary and Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his 119th birth anniversary. Senior officials and employees of the Delhi Assembly Secretariat also paid their respects to the two eminent figures.

On the occasion, the Deputy Speaker said that Veer Vitthalbhai Patel and Shaheed Bhagat Singh represented two powerful dimensions of India’s freedom movement. While one strengthened the voice and dignity of Indians through legislative institutions, the other inspired an entire generation through his courage and sacrifice. The historic Delhi Assembly complex, he said, serves as a reminder that India’s struggle for independence was fought both within legislative institutions and beyond them.

Highlighting Veer Vitthalbhai Patel’s historic contribution, Bisht said that on August 24, 1925, Patel became the first Indian elected President (Speaker) of the Central Legislative Assembly. At the time, the Central Legislative Assembly functioned from the present-day Delhi Assembly complex. His tenure marked an important milestone in India’s parliamentary history. Vitthalbhai Patel upheld the independence and dignity of the Chair, protected the rights and privileges of members, and worked towards establishing an independent Legislative Assembly Secretariat. His legacy of impartiality, parliamentary discipline and institutional autonomy continues to hold significance for the country’s legislative institutions.

Recalling Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Bisht said that his name is inseparably linked with the historic Central Legislative Assembly, where, on April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in protest against colonial laws and subsequently used the proceedings that followed to convey their message of resistance to the country. Bhagat Singh’s courage, patriotism and determination to sacrifice his life for India’s independence continue to inspire generations, he said.

Paying tribute to Vitthalbhai Patel and Bhagat Singh together at the historic Delhi Assembly complex serves as a reminder of the deep connection between India’s legislative heritage and its freedom struggle. It also underscores the responsibility of the present generation to strengthen and preserve the democratic values for which countless freedom fighters devoted their lives.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar