June 27th 2024.
New Delhi: On Thursday, opposition leaders dismissed the President's address to Parliament as a mere "script" given by the government, filled with "lies". They also criticized the government for continuously bringing up the 1975 Emergency.
According to the opposition leaders, there is an "undeclared emergency" in the country and the Modi government is attacking the Constitution. President Droupadi Murmu, in her address, referred to the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the "darkest chapter" that saw a direct assault on the Constitution. She also stated that the country emerged victorious over the unconstitutional forces.
After the President's address, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav spoke to reporters and questioned the government's claim of India being the fifth-largest economy in the world. He asked if this growth had led to prosperity for farmers and why there is a high rate of unemployment. He also brought up the issue of rising prices and lack of control over it, despite being the fifth-largest economy.
Yadav further criticized the government's claims of investment, stating that true growth would have been witnessed if there was actual investment. He also pointed out that the growth of a few individuals cannot lead to national growth and questioned what benefits there are for farmers, the poor, and those who have been exploited the most.
On being asked about the mention of Emergency by President Murmu, Yadav pointed out that the BJP did nothing for the people who were in jail during the Emergency. He emphasized that the Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, gave them respect and pensions.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also spoke about the President's address, stating that it seemed like a "script given by the government". She pointed out that the BJP has not yet realized that they do not have a majority on their own and that their speech seemed to be based on the majority of 303 seats that they had in the last election.
She also brought up the recent general elections and stated that the whole world is talking about India's Lok Sabha polls. She highlighted that the people of India have elected a stable government with a clear majority for the third consecutive term.
CPI (Liberation) MP Sudama Prasad took a strong stance against the President's address, calling it "full of lies". He criticized the government for calling this an alliance government when it is, in fact, a BJP government. He also questioned their claims of women empowerment and highlighted the issues faced by women in Manipur.
Prasad also brought up the Emergency and stated that the one in 1975 was declared, whereas the current situation is "undeclared". He accused the government of using the mention of Emergency as a distraction from the current "mega-emergency" that the country is facing, where the Constitution is being attacked and democratic values are being ignored.
Congress leader Tariq Anwar also had a similar view of the President's address, stating that there was nothing new in it. He claimed that it was just a revised version of old speeches and that the BJP has nothing new to say. He also pointed out that the BJP had been defeated in several elections since the Emergency, proving that their policies are not popular among the people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have also condemned the imposition of Emergency. Speaking to the media ahead of the start of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Modi referred to the Emergency as a "black spot" in India's parliamentary history when the Constitution was disregarded and the country was turned into a prison.
Birla, who was elected as Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday, caused a stir by reading out a resolution condemning the Emergency and calling it an attack on the Constitution by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This sparked protests by Congress members in the House.
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