President’s speech looks like BJP conducting next election campaign: Opposition

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 31

Reacting to the President Droupadi Murmu’s customary speech to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament at the beginning the Budget session, opposition parties claimed that the written content that was read in the Central Hall was provided by the government with an aim to conduct its next election campaign through the top constitutional office.

Speaking to the reporters outside Parliament, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “The President doesn’t contest elections, but it looks like the BJP government is conducting its next election campaign through her. The entire speech was an election speech trying to praise the government for everything it has done and skipping all those bits it has not done so well.”

In his reaction, TMC floor leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien in a tweet said, “As is the convention, President’s Address to both Houses of Parliament is written by the Government of India. Any line in speech about controlling prices, creating jobs, strengthening (fiscal) federalism, promoting communal harmony, passing Women’s Reservation Bill? Oh & 2 miserly lines about the NE.”

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said there was nothing on unemployment in the President's speech. “We and the citizens can see only the failures of the government. They only speak but don’t do.” He went on to add that the President's address reiterates what the government wants and does, and naturally, the President presents the government’s statement. “Still, we respect the President’s Address,” he said.

Chowdhury, however, said that when a discussion on the President’s address would be done in the House, his party will present its views, as there are a lot of issues, which are against the government.

Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari said that he always believed that the President should be allowed to speak her own. “But the President speaks what the government wants,” he said.

BRS MP K Keshava Rao said that the President's speech did not mention the issues of unemployment and inflation in the country. “We heard the President’s address today, but there was no mention of issues of unemployment and inflation. I suggest to the President to advise the PM to bring an act called the ‘Adani Act’ as there is only crony capitalism now,” he said.

Notably, BRS and AAP did not attend the President's address today in Parliament.

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