President Murmu addresses Parliament.
Credit: Sansad TV screengrab
New Delhi: In a joint address to both houses of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget Session, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday hailed the ‘epochal’ consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. This was the maiden address by the President at the new Parliament building.
President also listed other major achievements of the Modi government in the last decade including the abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq and other flagship welfare schemes of the government.
The President said that the building of Ram temple, which has been a “dream of centuries”, is now a reality. “There have been many such defining moments in the history of India. This year, on January 22, the country witnessed a similar epochal moment. After waiting for centuries, Ram Lalla has now been enshrined in his grand temple in Ayodhya,” she said.
She said in five days, 13 lakh devotees went to visit the temple.
On Article 370, she said the “apprehensions” are history now. “There is an environment of peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir as there is vibrancy in markets instead of the ‘silence of shutdowns’ witnessed in the past. The insurgency in the Northeast, too, has come down,” she said.
President Murmu said that her government, in the past year, has made some “historic” achievements. “Amidst serious global crises, India emerged as the fastest-growing major economy, consistently maintaining a growth rate of over 7.5 per cent for two consecutive quarters. The success of the historic G-20 Summit strengthened India’s global standing,” the President said in her speech.
Speaking about India’s space mission, Murmu said that India is now the first nation to reach the south pole of the Moon after the successful completion of the Chandrayaan mission. “Major decisions have been taken to expand India's space programme. This has led to the formation of many new space startups. The day is not far when India's Gaganyaan will reach space,” she said.