Clear-cut political speech, no acknowledgment of citizens' issues: Congress on president's address

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday described President Droupadi Murmu's address to both Houses of Parliament as a "clear-cut political speech" and claimed that it had no acknowledgment of what an ordinary citizen was experiencing day after day.

In her address, Murmu said the government had worked with a strong determination to lift the economy out of a state of "policy paralysis" despite global concerns such as the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and war-related uncertainties.

Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, signalling the start of the Budget Session, the president said the BJP-led government's third term was seeing work being done at thrice the speed of previous administrations, citing decisions on issues such as Waqf boards and 'one nation, one election'.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said it was very sad that the Narendra Modi government was making the president read the BJP's pamphlet.

"In this 10-year laundry list, the Modi government has exaggerated even the smallest schemes as if it has achieved a big feat. This has been recurringly seen in the president's address in past years also," Kharge said.

Noting that the president also mentioned the Maha Kumbh in her speech, Kharge said he paid heartfelt tribute to the deceased in the incident at the Kumbh and prayed for a speedy recovery of the injured.

"If the BJP government had paid as much attention to the arrangements of the Maha Kumbh as it did to publicity and VIPs, such an incident would not have happened," he said.

This incident should not be politicised but the government must ensure that such an incident does not occur again, he said.

There should not be posters and hoardings of VIPs on every wall, bus and car, Kharge said.

"For our youth, women, farmers, farm labourers, workers, gig workers, labourers, middle class and the poor, the BJP government has given them nothing but betrayal and disappointment in the last 10 years," he added.

Kharge alleged that Dalits, tribals and backward classes were only facing the brunt of the BJP's "atrocities and misdeeds".

"Sasaram, Bihar, MP Manoj Ram was attacked, he is being brought to AIIMS, Delhi, for treatment. If this is the condition of an MP, just imagine what the condition of law and order is in the double-engine government. If an MP is not safe, what will be the condition of the common people?" he asked.

People of the RSS-BJP think that they can impose their will by intimidation but this does not happen, he said.

"In the president's speech, after every scheme, it is said that 'this will help in generating employment'. But it is not stated where the two crore jobs that were promised annually have disappeared in 10 years." Kharge said.

The middle class is facing a continuous decline in savings due to "tax terrorism" and skyrocketing inflation, he said.

Kharge also slammed the government for not fulfilling the promise of doubling farmers' income.

Asked about Murmu's address, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal said the government had made the president deliver a "clear-cut political speech".

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said it was a very predictable speech with no real surprises.

"It is her job to praise her own government, she did that. But what we are concerned about is what was omitted from her speech, the things her government has failed to accomplish, the matters where her government is not doing very well, the situation of the economy, the fact that the 'aam aadmi' and the middle class are hurting today, the fact that unemployment is so high, the youth are not only facing record unemployment but even educated youth do not have jobs," Tharoor told PTI Videos.

"In all these circumstances, we are really facing a challenge. There was no acknowledgment in the president's speech of what the ordinary citizen of India is experiencing day after day," he added.

Congress MP Manish Tewari said Murmu's address "unfortunately is nothing more than a ritualistic reiteration of a laundry list of the government's alleged achievements".

"The @rashtrapatibhvn should be spared this annual embarrassment. Otherwise the Hon'ble President of India should be allowed to speak her or his own mind," he said in a post on X.