New Delhi, May 13 (IANS): Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited the historic Central Hall of Parliament and the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha chambers on Wednesday on the occasion of 68th year of the first sittings of Parliament.

The Vice-President and the Lok Sabha Speaker shared memories and experiences of the first sittings of the two Houses.

They were accompanied by Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan.

Earlier, Birla congratulated the people on the occasion and said it was a momentous day for the Indian democracy. It was on May 13, 1952, that both Houses of Parliament held their first sittings after Independence, he said.

Birla underlined strong roots of democratic traditions in India. He said Indian Parliament had been playing a pivotal role in realising the cherished ideals of the Constitution, participatory democracy, social justice and ensuring that citizens got their rightful economic, social, political and cultural rights.

The Speaker said during the past seven decades India had surmounted many obstacles and had safeguarded and consolidated the Constitution and the democratic principles of governance.