Row Over President Murmu’s ‘Govt-Scripted’ Speech; ‘Full Of Lies’, Say Opposition Parties

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint session of both houses of Parliament on Thursday has sparked off a major row.

A day after Om Birla, who was reappointed Lok Sabha Speaker, invoked the 1975 Emergency, President Murmu described the imposition of Emergency by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the “biggest and darkest chapter” of a direct attack on the Constitution and said that the country emerged victorious over unconstitutional forces.

Opposition parties dismissed the President’s address as a “script given by the government” and “full of lies.” They also slammed the Narendra Modi-headed government for repeated mention of the 1975 Emergency, reported PTI.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra remarked that the President read out a script that she was “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,” Moitra said.

“Maybe they took portions from last year’s speech,” the MP from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar added.

CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation MP Sudama Prasad pointed out that while President Murmu spoke of the 1975 Emergency, there is a ‘mega emergency’ prevailing in the country now under BJP.

“That (1975) 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,” Prasad remarked.

Describing the President’s address as one full of lies, Prasad went on to observe that this is an alliance government which is being passed off a majority government.

“This is an alliance government which they are calling a majority government as if it is a BJP government. They should have talked about Manipur. Why are they making empty speeches on women empowerment? Women were paraded naked there (Manipur), people have been rendered homeless… women wrestlers have not yet received justice. This address was full of lies,” he said.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav questioned the BJP about its role during Emergency.

“What did the BJP do for the people who were in jail during Emergency? The SP gave them respect and pension,” Akhilesh said.

He also challenged claims of India being the fifth-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 price rise be controlled?” he said.