NEW DELHI: The Opposition parties came out all guns blazing on Tuesday against President Droupadi Murmu’s customary speech to the joint session of the two Houses of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session. While Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted the President’s address, most of the Congress MPs could not attend it as they were stranded in Srinagar after the culmination event of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Due to delayed flights from Srinagar over inclement weather conditions, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and many other Congress MPs will be unable to attend the President’s address to both Houses of Parliament,” Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
Calling it an election speech, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the BJP government was trying to push its election campaign through the President’s address. “The President doesn’t contest elections. But it seems like the BJP government is conducting its next election campaign through her.
The entire speech was an election speech trying to hail the government for its achievements,” he told the media. Speaking to this daily, CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem said that the speech was disappointing as it did not address burning issues such as the economic crisis, unemployment, farmers’ distress, and others.