President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday received the first copy of former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar's book 'Indian Parliamentary Diplomacy- Speaker's Perspective' at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The President received the book from Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who formally released it.
Speaking on the occasion, President Mukherjee congratulated Meira Kumar for her book, adding that the Parliament portrays the will of the people.
"The office of Speaker is very crucial. The Parliament portrays the will of the people. The basic tenet of the parliamentary system is the representation of people in Parliament. The Speaker is the custodian of the rights, privileges and performance of the representatives of people in the Parliament who represent the spirit and aspirations of the vast multitude of people of the country," President Mukherjee said.
"Parliamentary diplomacy has become important and these days a crucial work being undertaken by the Speaker is carrying diplomatic work through attending various international conferences and bilateral visits," he added.