Tolerance must be ensured for India to be next superpower: CJI-designate

New Delhi: "Tolerance" has to be ensured and the democratic system needs to be "stable" in India's endeavour to become the next superpower, Justice TS Thakur, who is slated to take over as the Chief Justice of India, said on Thursday.

Justice Thakur said proper observance of these factors has been a part of India's democratic tradition and is the "greatest security" that the country can claim.

"One thing that will have to be always kept in mind is that the system must always remain stable. I must say that as a student of Constitution, I have found that there is not only wisdom or prudence in all that we do but there is also great amount of tolerance.

"Even when you strike down a parliamentary legislation including a constitutional amendment, even when they may have had the full support of the political class we have showed maturity to accept it with lot of grace and dignity and I think that's a great credit not only to those who are administering the country but also the general public and that is the greatest security that we can claim," he said.

Justice Thakur was speaking at the launch of "The Power of Raisina Hill: The Constitutional Position, Functions and Powers of the President of India" in the presence of Justice Dipak Mishra, former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid among others.

Justice Thakur said that the maturity demonstrated by successive Presidents and the political class distinguishes India from many other countries "in our neighbourhood".

"Political stability is one of the corner stones for progress in any country. You may call yourself a democracy, a secular country but unless there is political stability there is no progress," he said.

In his speech, Khurshid stressed on the need for a "dialogue" among the institutions of the legislature, executive and the judiciary observing that there has been a "paucity" of the same.