Nation

‘No Longer A Presidential Address’: Opposition Criticises President Murmu’s Address, NDA Reacts

June 27, 2024
Bharat Times

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday addressed both Houses of Parliament in the first session following the recent Lok Sabha elections, highlighting the 1975 Emergency as a direct attack on the Constitution. Her remarks drew a lot of reactions from the Opposition and NDA, where the parties of I.N.D.I.A bloc criticised her. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called President Murmu’s speech a “reflection of PM Modi’s views over the past decade”. “This is no longer a Presidential address, this has been the Modi address for 10 years. Whatever Modi ji wants will come out in her speech. It is a minority government, Modi ji has already lost the majority, but there is no mention of it.”

“Even after 50 years, they are talking about an Emergency, there has been an Emergency in this country for 10 years, remove that,” he told ANI. 

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi remarked on the lack of mention of minorities or unemployment, citing a recent statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on increasing hate speech and the demolition of religious sites in India. 

“In the entire address, there was no mention of minorities or unemployment. US State Secretary Antony Blinken said yesterday that there has been an increase in hate speech in India and religious places of minorities are getting demolished. There was nothing new in the address, it was like an old wine in a new bottle,” he said.

“Re-NEET should have been done. There are paper leaks everywhere. They are playing with the lives of 25 lakh youth and their families,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Shashi Tharoor also reacted to the President’s address, stating, “There was no logic of talking about Emergency in the address after 49 years. She should have spoken about today’s issues. We did not hear anything about the NEET exam or unemployment.”

“The word Manipur did not come out from President Murmu or PM Modi. Issues like the India-China border should have been taken up in the address,” he added. 

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed similar sentiments. “This is the tradition and it happens every time. We listen to the President. That is the speech of the Government,” he said. 

Speaking on the same, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari lashed out at the centre and called it a tired, defeated, and crippled government that lacks willpower, adding to that he said, “There is nothing for the benefit of the nation, how will this government function? There is nothing new they talk about. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have no regrets over the 2024 Lok Sabha election results.”

NDA’s Reaction To President’s Address 

In contrast, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale defended the President’s address, saying, “President’s Address mentions the government’s decisions. The new schemes will come through the Budget but there is no meaning in the Opposition criticising it. President’s Address was good…There is no fact in the allegations of the Opposition”. 

Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary praised the address for delivering a positive message and a clear vision. “It’s a very good, positive message and a special occasion. The President gave us a message of solidarity, of taking the country forward and how can we make it a developed country by 2047? There’s a clear vision and a clear path that she laid down.”

“Our democratic institutions are strong. We take pride in them. We have faith in them. She spoke about the excellent role the Election Commission has played, the way common people have come out and voted, the way women have decided their future by coming and voting for a government and a representative of their choice,” he said.

BJP MP Tivendra Singh Rawat also supported the President’s address, stating, “Opposition is saying the old things that they had mugged up. But the President’s Address clearly reflects the future plans of the Government – the blueprint and roadmap of the development of the country,” he said. 

President’s Address To The Joint Session Of Parliament 

In her address to both Houses of Parliament, Droupadi Murmu highlighted the Emergency of 1975, labelling it as “the biggest and darkest chapter of a direct attack on the Constitution”. This was her first speech to the joint sitting of Parliament following the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha. 

President Murmu’s mention of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi underscored the ongoing friction between the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and the principal Opposition, the Congress. The address also is expected to shape the Parliament’s proceedings shortly.

The address also indicated the Modi government’s intention to remain assertive in the Congress, despite the BJP falling short of the majority mark in the Lok Sabha polls, where the Congress nearly doubled its seat count.