'Full of lies, scripted by Modi govt': Opposition slams President's address in Parliament

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said the President read out a 'script given by the government' and that the BJP has not realised yet that it does not have a majority on its own

New Delhi: Opposition on Thursday did "not find anything new" in the 'government scripted' President's Address to Parliament that was "full of lies" while 'trying best to deny' the Lok Sabha election mandate.

Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X that the speech outlining the agenda of Narendra Modi government by President Droupadi Murmu did not refer to price rise, Manipur violence, railway accident, terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and increasing atrocities on Dalits, tribals and minorities in BJP ruled states.

"After listening to the President's address written by the Modi government, it seemed as if Modi-ji was trying his best to deny the mandate. The mandate was against him as the people of the country rejected his slogan of 'crossing 400' and kept BJP away from the figure of 272. Modi-ji is not ready to accept this. He is behaving as if nothing has changed, but the truth is that the people of the country had demanded change," he said.

Samajwadi Party chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav sought to target the government over the claims on making India third largest economy in the world.

"The story that is being told about India becoming the fifth-largest economy...has it made our farmers prosperous? If we are the fifth-largest economy, then why are so many youths unemployed? Why is there a scheme like Agniveer? Why can't the price rise be controlled?" he said.

He said the growth of some individuals cannot enable national growth. What is there in it for farmers, the poor and those who have been most exploited is the issue, he added.

Asked about mention of Emergency in Murmu's speech, Akhilesh said, "what did the BJP do for the people who were in jail during the Emergency? The SP gave them respect and pensions."

Describing the speech as "full of lies", CPI (ML)L MP Sudama Prasad said "that was a declared emergency and this one has not been declared. They mentioned Emergency yesterday as well. This is not right. They are mentioning Emergency but we are facing a mega-emergency at present. The Constitution is being attacked, democratic values are being murdered and people are being silenced. By talking about Emergency, they are trying to hide their own mega-emergency."

Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra said the President read out a "script given by the government...The government's problem is that they are not yet able to understand that they have come to 240 from 303. They prepared the speech based on the majority of 303. That is why she said there is a clear majority government when the government is actually in minority."