PM, MPs miss President's Address to Nation

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his cabinet colleagues and most Members of Parliament today missed the all-important Address to the Nation by the President on the eve of Independence Day.

As President APJ Abdul Kalam's address was being telecast on the Doordarshan national channel, parliamentarians were occupied with the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament Museum, opened by Dr Kalam himself.

The President's recorded Independence Day-eve speech and the inaugural ceremony of the Parliament Museum were telecast simultaneously on two state-run channels.

Both the President's address and the museum function where Dr Kalam spoke began at 1900 hrs. The museum function was telecast live by the new Lok Sabha channel.

The inauguration of the museum was attended by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and several cabinet ministers and MPs.

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