'President's address like recycled ritual': Opposition leaders on Murmu's speech; press for restoring MGNREGA

New Delhi: Opposition on Wednesday called the President's Address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha as "recycled ritual" that "reused the same set of claims without truth or accountability", even as its MPs protested during Droupadi Murmu's speech demanding the restoration of UPA-era rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA.

As soon as Murmu stood up to deliver her customary address, the MPs were on their feet shouting "restore MGNREGA" though they wound up their protest within a minute. However, Murmu faced sloganeering once again when she mentioned VB-G RAM G Act, saying it would provide “new momentum” to rural development and create “new facilities” for the farmers, livestock farmers and fishermen.

Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) and Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha) also joined other MPs in the protest. The decision to stage a protest on MGNREGA was taken at a meeting of Opposition leaders earlier in the day.

"Today during the President’s address to both Houses of Parliament, all Opposition parties most respectfully and in a dignified manner protested the bulldozed repeal of MGNREGA. The Opposition will use all democratic means to demand the restoration of MGNREGA," Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh said.

Referring to the President's address, Kharge said every year the Union Cabinet clears the President’s address like a "recycled ritual, reusing the same set of claims without truth or accountability".

"The slogan of Viksit Bharat is repeated loudly, yet it carries no clear goals, no timelines and no measurable outcomes. While making lofty speeches on 'development', ” the anti-poor, pro-crony Modi Govt has mercilessly dismantled MGNREGA -- an Act that guaranteed the Right to Work; snatching away the only source of livelihood for crores of workers. What kind of Viksit Bharat is this, where the poor are denied the means to survive and dignity is sacrificed for slogans?" he said on 'X'.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said, "nothing was there; just a repetition of things they have done which they have told earlier also. Totally hollow speech prepared by the government that is customarily delivered by the President. Hollow promises of the government are repeated again and again."

Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "The President is only the spokesperson of the government for the purposes of this address. The address is written by the government and cleared by the cabinet. Under those circumstances, it was an insipid address. There was no vision which was laid out, only a list of alleged achievements of the government was read out."

Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan said the speech was all about "empty claims" and the word 'Viksit Bharat' is repeated several times but people are in misery. "The speech does not reflect this. The BJP has developed a bad habit of praising themselves for nothing," he said.

CPI Rajya Sabha floor leader P Sandosh Kumar said the address was a repetition of the "same-old rhetorical claims" of the Modi Government, "conspicuously devoid of substance, accountability, or credible data, while glossing over the deepening crises" facing the country.

He said the address fails to acknowledge the severe financial discrimination against opposition-ruled states, which has been consistently denied its legitimate financial dues, including GST compensation and central transfers.