G20 Parliamentary speakers pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Parliament House complex

New Delhi: G20 Parliamentary speakers on Friday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Parliament House complex.

The 9th P20 Summit is being hosted by the Parliament of India on October 13-14 in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday emphasized that the P20 Summit is taking place on the land that is not only known as the mother of democracy but is also the largest democracy in the world.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of debates and deliberations as he mentioned accurate examples of such debates from history.

He informed that assemblies and committees have found a mention in the five-thousand-year-old Vedas and scriptures of India, where collective decisions were made for the betterment of society.

Speaking about Rigveda, India's oldest scripture, the Prime Minister recited a Sanskrit shloka which means 'We must walk together, speak together and that our minds must be conjoined'.

He informed that issues related to the village level were resolved by indulging in debates which became a source of great amazement for the Greek ambassador Megasthenes who wrote about it in great detail.

The Prime Minister also touched upon a 9th-century inscription in Tamil Nadu which elaborates upon rules and codes of village legislatives.

"The 1200-year-old inscription also mentions the rules for disqualification of a member", he added.

Earlier this month, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, at a press briefing, informed that apart from G20 countries, ten other countries and international organizations will participate in the P20 Summit and so far, 50 Parliamentarians and 14 Secretary Generals, including 26 Presidents, 10 Vice Presidents, one Committee Chairman and the IPU President have confirmed their participation.

Speakers and heads of the delegation of Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Spain, European Parliament, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Turkiye, Nigeria, Australia, Brazil, UAE, Singapore, Japan, Egypt and Bangladesh were present at the event.

The itinerary on the inaugural day of the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) and Parliamentary Forum includes two separate sessions on Friday.

The first session comprises a discussion on 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' with Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showcasing achievements and accelerating progress.

The second session will be on 'One Earth Sustainable Energy Transition-Gateway to Green Future'. (ANI)