With acrimonious scenes in both Houses of Parliament increasingly becoming the order of the day, today's events were a surprise for many as MPs behaved themselves and cooperated amiably with each other.
After Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Vice President Hamid Ansari delivered their speeches, President Pratibha Patil felicitated three MPs of the 1952 Parliament- Rishang Keishing, Reshamlal Jangde and Kandala Subrahmanyam.
Patil's address was heard in rapt attention by the members with no interruptions- a rarity in these days of frequent adjournments.
Two coins- of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denominations- and some speeches and other compilations were released by Patil.
Among those seated in Central Hall during the programme were MPs from the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, besides Chief Ministers, Governors and former Speakers of the Lower House.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam was one of the distinguished guests. Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil and his Tamil Nadu counterpart K Rosaiah were also present.
Among the Chief Ministers who graced the occasion are Sadanand Gowda (Karnataka), Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) and Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan). Former Speakers Somnath Chatterjee and P Sangma were also present. (MORE)
