'Profound Honour': Pune MLA Siddharth Shirole Expresses Gratitude After Felicitation By President Droupadi Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday presented Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole with the ‘Outstanding Speech’ award. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was selected for the award for the year 2021-22 by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Board.

After receiving the award, Shirole took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated that it was a "profound honour" for him. He wrote, "Honoured to receive the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's award for the Best Speech in the Maharashtra Assembly for 2021-22, presented by President Droupadi Murmu ji."

"It is a profound honour to be recognised for raising questions and advocating for the needs and issues of the Shivajinagar Assembly Constituency and #Pune city," he added.

Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rahul Narvekar, Legislative Council Deputy Speaker Dr Neelam Gorhe, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil, Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, and Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, speaking at the centenary celebrations of the Maharashtra Legislative Council in Mumbai, President Murmu said there are "shortcomings" in societal views on women and underscored the need to reassess them, emphasising that the nation's progress cannot be fully realised without the socio-economic and educational development of women. "Without their (women's) socio-economic and educational progress, the country's development cannot be achieved the way it should be," she said.

The President further stated that while women may be receiving support now, in the future they will "walk, run, and fly," contributing even more to the nation's development.

"There is a shortcoming in the way women are viewed and understood. There is a need to change the way we look at women. It is our duty and responsibility to change it," she added.

"In the future, we will probably not see what we are seeing now and what women are facing," the President said. Her comments came in the backdrop of massive outrage over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata and the sexual abuse of two minor girls at a school in Badlapur.

(With PTI inputs)