Describing India as the "mother of all democracies", Speaker of the UK House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said some of its neighbouring countries should reflect on what democracy truly means.
Delivering his Republic Day message at a reception organised by the High Commission of India in London on Monday, Hoyle said India's democratic journey is a remarkable milestone in world history.
"It is such a huge milestone in India's history and reminds us that the world's democracy continues to thrive, the mother of all democracies," he said.
Hoyle was the chief guest at the event held to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India in January 1950.
"We (the UK) might be the mother of Parliament, but when I hear about almost 1 billion people voting, counting the votes, delivering that result, that is something special.
"It is so special that some of your neighbours ought to recognise what democracy is about. It's about us in the free world that believe in a democratic world, and I would say, those who do not have the right democracy, please reflect on that. Democracy is where we go and that's why you (India) will always be that milestone," he said.
Reflecting upon a busy period for India-UK relations, the Speaker of the Lower House of the British Parliament commended the depth of the bilateral ties driven by trade, technology, culture, sports and vibrant people-to-people links.
Addressing the gathering, Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami said the partnership between the two countries was "compelling, timely, strategic and necessary".
"It could also be like the tagline for India itself: truly incredible," the envoy said in his welcome address.
"A special thank you to Britons of Indian origin and to the Indians here, who always believed that this partnership could be much more than the sum of its parts. I hope this past year is only the first such banner year," he said.
The diplomat highlighted the momentum injected into the bilateral ties in 2025, with two-way historic prime ministerial visits and the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the landmark free trade agreement (FTA) set to be ratified by the UK Parliament in the coming months.
The festive tone for the annual celebration at the historic Guildhall in London was set by dhol and Bhangra dancers and concluded with video highlights from the iconic Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
Veteran cross-party parliamentarians, community leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and business people operating within the India-UK corridor were among the guests who joined in renditions of the national anthems of both nations.
Earlier on Monday morning, the Indian High Commission hosted a customary Republic Day flag hoisting ceremony for members of the diaspora at India House in London.
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