President bats for simultaneous polls, backs demonetisation

President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday batted strongly for simultaneous elections to Parliament and Assemblies and backed the demonetisation drive.

He asked the Election Commission to carry forward the idea of simultaneous polls in consultation with political parties.

In his Republic Day eve address to the nation, the President also asserted that the country’s strength lies in is pluralism and diversity and that India has traditionally celebrated the argumentative” Indian; not the “intolerant” Indian.