Month: June 2024

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asadudddin Owaisi on Thursday criticized President Droupadi Murmu’s joint address, stating that there was nothing “new” in the address and that it was like “old wine in a new bottle”.

Speaking to ANI, Owaisi said, “In the entire address, there was no mention of minorities or unemployment. US State Secretary Antony Blinken said yesterday that there has been an increase in hate speech in India and religious places of minorities are getting demolished.”

He further said that there was nothing “new” in the address.

“There was nothing new in the address, it was like an old wine in a new bottle…Re-NEET should have been done. There are paper leaks everywhere. They are playing with the lives of 25 lakh youth and their families…” said the AIMIM MP.

President Droupadi Murmu, earlier today, addressed the joint session of the Parliament and criticized the imposition of ’emergency’ in 1975 under the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

“Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers,” said the president while addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament.

President Murmu further assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget.

“A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country,” she said.

“In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget,” President Murmu added.

Speaking on the row over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) exam 2024, the President said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty.

“It is a continuous effort of the government to ensure that the youth of the country gets adequate opportunity to display their talent. My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations”, she said.

Meanwhile, the President’s address has triggered reactions from the leaders of the INDIA bloc.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain cheap applause by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies.

“Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections,” Kharge wrote on his official account on ‘X’.

He further criticized the President’s address asserting that it was scripted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which appeared as an attempt by him to reject the public mandate.

“Listening to the President’s address written by the Modi government felt like Modi Ji is trying every possible way to deny the public mandate. The mandate was against him because the people of the country rejected his slogan of “crossing 400″ and kept the BJP away from the figure of 272,” Kharge said in a post on X. (ANI)

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Army engineers of Trishakti Corps constructed a 70 feet Bailey Bridge on Gangtok’s Dikchu-Sanklang road within 72 hours to restore connectivity to areas cut off due to recent floods in Sikkim.

As per PRO Defence, Guwahati, the construction work started on June 23 and was completed within 72 hours.

“Supporting the efforts of BRO and local administration in restoring connectivity and getting normalcy back to areas cut off due to recent floods in Sikkim, Army engineers of Trishakti Corps constructed a 70 feet Bailey Bridge on road Dikchu – Sanklang, braving incessant rains & challenging technical constraints,” PRO Defence, Guwahati.

“The recent floods in Sikkim has led to disruptions of road communications to many areas in North Sikkim. Responding to the calls for rebuilding efforts, the Army engineers constructed a Bailey bridge at Dett Khola on Dikchu-Sanklang axis. The work started on 23th Jun & completed within 72 hours, working under challenging weather conditions. The bridge is an important link to enable vehicular traffic from Dikchu to Sanklang towards Chungthang. The bridge will assist in providing basic necessities including critical medical aid for the affected people of Mangan district,” as per the PRO Defence.

“Mr Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, State Forest Minister and state secretary of Disaster Management visited the site on 27 Jun 24 & appreciated the efforts of the Indian Army in completing the bridge at a fast pace,” the PRO Defence stated.

Incessant rains since June 11 have wreaked havoc in North Sikkim. The unprecedented heavy rains have caused multiple landslides and breaches on roads leading to North Sikkim, such as Dikchu-Sanklang-Toong, Mangan-Sanklang, Singtham-Rangrang, and Rangrang-Toong, severing connectivity to the region.

Earlier on June 23, Indian Army engineers from Trishakti Corps constructed a 150-foot suspension bridge in North Sikkim to re-connect the border villages that got cut off due to continued heavy rains, giving respite to the locals living in those locations, the army said. (ANI)

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday criticized President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint session of both Houses of Parliament, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain cheap applause by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies.

“Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections,” Kharge wrote on his official Twitter account.

He further criticized the President’s address asserting that it was scripted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which appeared as an attempt by him to reject the public mandate.

“Listening to the President’s address written by the Modi government felt like Modi Ji is trying every possible way to deny the public mandate. The mandate was against him because the people of the country rejected his slogan of “crossing 400″ and kept the BJP away from the figure of 272,” Kharge said in a post on X.

Kharge accused PM Modi of acting unaware of the call for change from the populace in the recently held Lok Sabha election 2024.

“Modi Ji is not ready to accept this. He is acting as if nothing has changed, while the reality is that the people of the country demanded change,” Kharge said.

He also highlighted several issues including the NEET paper leak scandal, food inflation, the violence in Manipur, train accidents, and rising atrocities against Dalits, tribals, and minorities in BJP-ruled states.

“I will give a detailed response in my speech in the Rajya Sabha, but at first glance, I want to say a few things,’ Kharge said.

Kharge mentioned the recent controversial NEET paper leak case, emphasizing the widespread impact on the youth.

“The cover-up in the NEET scam will not work: In the last 5 years, out of the 66 recruitment exams conducted by NTA, paper leaks and fraud have occurred in at least 12, affecting more than 7.5 million youths. The Modi government cannot shirk its accountability by merely saying ‘one should rise above party politics.’ The youth are demanding justice. The Education Minister of the Modi government will have to take responsibility for this,” the Congress president said.

“Every second youth in the country is unemployed, and there is no concrete policy in the speech to tackle unemployment. Just talking about it does not solve the problem; decisive steps need to be taken,” Kharge said oN neet Exam,” Kharge added.

Talking about the president’s speech he said that it does not mention the 5 main issues facing the country even once.

Addressing food inflation, Kharge said that prices of everyday food items have surged, with food inflation of over 8.5 per cent for the past four months. He criticized the absence of the word “inflation” in the President’s address.

“First, back-breaking inflation: The prices of everyday food items have increased manifold. Food inflation has been over 8.5% for the past 4 months. The prices of flour, pulses, tomatoes, onions, milk – everything is sky-high. Household savings in the country are at their lowest level in 50 years. But the word “inflation” is missing from the entire address,” Kharge said.

On the subject of Manipur violence, Kharge pointed out the ongoing conflict, resulting in 221 deaths and 50,000 people becoming homeless over the past 13 months. He questioned the BJP Chief Minister’s continued tenure despite the turmoil.

“Second, violence in Manipur: In the continuous violence in Manipur for the past 13 months, 221 people have lost their lives, and still, 50,000 people are homeless. The violence has now spread to peaceful districts like Jiribam, while extortion and kidnapping have increased in Imphal valley and other areas. But the BJP Chief Minister is still in power. No concrete steps have been taken for peace,” Kharge in his official Twitter account said.

Regarding train accidents, Kharge highlighted the Modi government’s failure to mention recent train tragedies in the President’s speech and criticized the limited implementation of the “Kavach” safety system, with only 2 per cent of tracks equipped.

“Third, the horrific train accidents and the plight of passengers in trains: The Modi government did not mention the train accident that occurred in West Bengal in the written speech of the President. Even after the Balasore train tragedy, the government did not learn any lessons. The much-publicized “Kavach” safety system is currently installed on only 2% of the tracks, while according to NCRB, more than 100,000 deaths related to train accidents occurred between 2017 and 2021,” the tweet added.

Kharge also condemned the Modi government’s handling of national security, citing 2,262 terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over the last decade, resulting in the deaths of 363 civilians and 596 soldiers.

“Fourth, terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir: The Modi government has put our national security at risk, with 2,262 terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 10 years, in which 363 civilians were killed, and 596 soldiers were martyred. In recent years, there have been frequent attacks on Kashmiri Pandits, but the Prime Minister is falsely claiming “new Kashmir,” the congress president added in his tweet.

Lastly, Kharge drew attention to the increasing atrocities against Dalits, tribals, and minorities in BJP-ruled states, alleging that BJP/RSS’s divisive ideology has led to a rise in incidents of mob lynching, communal violence, and illegal bulldozing of poor people’s homes.

“Fifth, increasing atrocities on Dalits, tribals, and minorities in BJP-ruled states: During the election, the speeches of Narendra Modi Ji repeatedly confirmed the fact that BJP/RSS’s ideology is only to divide the society. Incidents of mob lynching, crowd violence, communal violence, and illegal bulldozing of poor people’s homes have increased in BJP-ruled states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh. But the ruling party remains completely silent,” Kharge said.

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu while addressing the joint session of both Houses of Parliament assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget.

“A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country,” she said.

“In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget,” President Murmu added.

“I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. All of you have come here after winning the trust of the voters of the country. Very few people get this privilege of serving the country and the people. I have full faith that you will fulfil your duties with the spirit of the nation first and will become a medium for fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore countrymen,” she said. (ANI)

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two persons from Bihar’s Patna in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.

A senior official with the CBI confirmed the arrest of two persons identified as Manish Prakash and Ashutosh. The arrested individuals were found to be operating from Patna.

He said that while the accused, Ashutosh, was arranging safe house premises for the students, the other accused, Manish, used to take the candidates to a school to ‘prepare’ them for the exam.

“Manish Prakash transported the students in his car. While the students were accommodated in Ashutosh’s house,” the CBI officer pointed out.

These are the first arrests made by the CBI in the NEET paper leak case. Both accused were produced in court, he said.

On Monday, the CBI took over the NEET (UG) paper leak case reported in Patna (Bihar), another cheating case in Godhra (Gujarat), and three alleged impersonations in the examination in Rajasthan.

Earlier in the day, referring to the irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, President Droupadi Murmu said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG examination, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities. This prompted a series of protests across the country, with demonstrators and political parties demanding to disband the NTA.

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the petition that claimed “inconsistent” calculation of marks on the OMR sheets used for the NEET-UG 2024 exam.

A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti issued a notice and sought the NTA’s response by July 8, the date of the next hearing.

Several petitions were filed in the apex court seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held on May 5.

The apex court had already refused to stay the counselling of NEET-UG, 2024.

The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, is the pathway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. (ANI)

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Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi along with other opposition leaders met Speaker Om Birla in his chamber in Parliament on Thursday.

This is the opposition’s first meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker after National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, Om Birla, was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Speaking about the meeting, Congress MP KC Venugopal told ANI that the meeting was a courtesy from Rahul Gandhi to meet and thank Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the Speaker declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition today.

“Lok Sabha Speaker officially declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition today. It was a courtesy from Rahul Gandhi to meet and thank him. Political statements from the Speaker’s mouth could have been avoided yesterday. What was there in the President’s address? It was the same as last time. There was nothing new. No expectation for the youth, women, poor, farmers of the country, “Venugopal told ANI.

Earlier after assuming charge as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in a post on X said that together Congress will raise the voice of every Indian in Parliament, protect our Constitution, and hold the NDA government accountable for their actions.

“I thank Congress President @kharge ji, and all the Congress leaders and Babbar Sher karyakartas from across the country for their overwhelming support and warm wishes. Together, we will raise the voice of every Indian in Parliament, protect our Constitution, and hold the NDA government accountable for their actions,” the Congress leader said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Notably, Lok Sabha did not have a Leader of the Opposition in the last 10 years because no political party, other than the ruling party, was able to secure the minimum Lok Sabha seats required to nominate a Leader of the Opposition.

The leader of the largest opposition party having not less than one-tenth seats of the total strength of the Lok Sabha is recognised as the leader of the opposition (LoP).

LoP will be a member of crucial committees such as Public Accounts (Chairman), Public Undertakings, Estimates and several Joint Parliamentary Committees.

The LoP is entitled to be a member of various selection committees responsible for appointing heads of statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission, the CBI, the NHRC, and the Lokpal.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on June 24 and will conclude on July 3. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. (ANI)

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On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors raised slogans against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) house, protesting the ongoing water crisis in the capital.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi accused BJP councillors of disrupting House proceedings, stating, “Every time, BJP councillors disrupt the House over issues unrelated to the Municipal Corporation. Today, we needed to discuss monsoon preparations and drain cleaning, but this was not possible.”

BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri led a protest with party workers over the water crisis. Meanwhile, residents of Okhla Phase 2 and Kusumpur Pahari received water supply through tankers, bringing some relief amid the shortage. However, residents reported that tap water remains dirty and supply is inconsistent.

Meanwhile, Residents of Okhla Phase 2 and Kusumpur Pahari in Delhi heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as they received water supply through tankers amid acute water shortage in the national capital.

Virendra Pandit, a resident said, “There is a slight improvement in the water supply but we are still facing a water crisis. Except for some days, we have been provided proper water supply. Our water problems have been resolved to some extent.”

When asked about the tap water supply, he said, “We have been receiving dirty water in taps for the last three to four years. Hence, we are not using it.”

In a related development, AAP Minister Atishi, who began an indefinite hunger strike on June 22 demanding Haryana release Delhi’s water share, was hospitalized due to deteriorating health. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav visited Atishi at Lok Nayak Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU.

The AAP alleges that Haryana is supplying 100 million gallons per day less water than required, affecting 28 lakh Delhi residents. Despite heavy rainfall providing temporary relief from the heat, the water crisis remains a critical issue.

On Tuesday, AAP leader Sanjay Singh announced the end of Atishi’s hunger strike but vowed to continue raising the issue in Parliament and urged the Prime Minister to address Delhi’s water needs. (ANI)

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A day after Sam Pitroda was re-appointed as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Thursday launched a scathing attack against the Congress party saying that they kept a distance from Sam Pitroda during the Lok Sabha elections just to deceive the public.

“The first thing Rahul Gandhi did as soon as he became the leader of the opposition was to become the leader of hypocrisy and leader of opportunism…One thing is clear from this that the cosmetic distance that the Congress party had made from Sam Pitroda during the elections was only and only a pretence, it was a lie, and it was to deceive the public,” said Shehzad Poonawalla.

Slamming Rahul Gandhi, he termed him “Uncle Sam’s reckless chela (student)”.

Poonawalla further emphasised that the Congress party does not ideologically differ from Sam Pitroda and said that Pitroda has not accepted that the statement made by him was racist in any way.

“In reality, the Congress party agrees with everything Uncle Sam says…Uncle Sam Pitroda has not expressed any regret over his racist remark and the Congress party agrees with these things,” he said.

Lashing out at Pitroda, the BJP leader said that Sam Pitoda had expressed that his statement was not racist but the public who felt outrageous was racist themselves.

Earlier on Wednesday, the AICC release said that the Congress President has reappointed Sam Pitroda to the position with immediate effect.

Pitroda had resigned from the position earlier in May this year amid controversies surrounding his remarks regarding the appearance of Indians. The Congress party then distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh informed about Pitroda’s decision to step down through a post on X.

“Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision,” the post mentioned.

Pitroda, in an interview with ‘The Statesman’, while reflecting upon the democracy in India, had said, “We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arabs, people in the North look like whites, and maybe people in the South look like Africans.” (ANI)

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The ‘Sengol’ found its prominence in Parliament on Thursday amid the ongoing political controversy ignited by Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Parliament (MP) RK Chaudhary’s recent comments calling it a symbol of monarchy.

“The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. The BJP government, under PM Modi, installed the Sengol in Parliament. ‘Sengol’ means ‘Raj-Dand’ or ‘Raja ka Danda’. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by ‘Raja ka danda’ or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution,” said Chaudhary.

BJP leader CR Kesavan called Chaudhary’s comments outrageous and outlandish.

“RK Chaudhary’s remarks are outrageous and outlandish. He insulted the millions of devotees. He has also undermined the sanctity of the Parliament. He has also abused the office of the President. But what better can you expect from a Samajwadi Party MP,” he said.

Union Minister Anupriya Patel asked what were the SP’s MP doing when the Sengol was being established in the House.

“When Sengol was established, the Samajwadi Party was in the House even then, what were its MPs doing at that time?” she said.

Union Minister BL Verma said that SP leaders should look at the constitution and parliamentary traditions.

“Samajwadi Party MPs who are saying this first, should know the parliamentary traditions and then speak. And they are talking about removing something that is a symbol of self-respect. I think that somewhere they should look at the constitution and parliamentary traditions,” he said.

RJD MP Misa Bharti said that the Senghol should be removed because it is a democratic country.

“It should be removed because it is a democratic country. The Sengol should be kept in the museum where people can come and see it,” Bharti said.

Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav defended Chaudhary, suggesting that the remark might be a reminder for the Prime Minister. “When the Sengol was installed, the PM bowed before it. He might have forgotten this while taking the oath. Maybe our MP’s remark was to remind him of that,” Yadav stated.

On May 28, 2023, PM Narendra Modi installed the historic Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber, next to the Speaker’s chair in the new Parliament building, after performing a traditional puja. This Sengol, handed over to PM Modi by Adheenams, was previously accepted by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on the night of August 14, 1947. (ANI)

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Referring to the irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty.

While addressing the joint sitting of both Houses, the President said, “It is a continuous effort of the government to ensure that the youth of the country gets adequate opportunity to display their talent. My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations.”

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG exams, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities in the exams. This resulted in several protests across the country, with protestors and political parties demanding to disband the NTA.

The President highlighted the Citizenship Amendment Act and said that the government is re-establishing the heritage and culture of India along with efforts to build the future.

“My Government has started giving citizenship to refugees under the CAA law. I wish a better future for the families who have received citizenship under CAA. My Government is re-establishing the heritage and culture of India along with efforts to build the future,” she said.

“Recently, a new chapter has been added to it in the form of the Vocational Campus of Nalanda University. Nalanda was not just a university, it was proof of India’s glorious past as a centre of basic knowledge. I am confident that the new Nalanda University will prove helpful in making India a global knowledge hub,” President Murmu added.

Criticising the implementation of ‘Emergency’ under the leadership of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, the President said, “Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the Emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers.”

She also said that now India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs.

“My government has provided Rs 3.20 lakh crores to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of the new term of my government, an amount of more than Rs 20,000 crores has been transferred to the farmers. The government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops. Today’s India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs,” the President said.

“Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world. Indian farmers have the full capacity to meet this demand. Therefore, the government is integrating the supply chain of natural farming and related products. On India’s initiative, the whole world has celebrated International Millet Day in the year 2023. You have seen that recently the whole world has also celebrated International Yoga Day,” she added.

She said that the process of reforms in the Armed Forces should continue to keep it combat-ready.

“For a capable India, modernity in our armed forces is essential. We should be the best in the face of war – to ensure this, the process of reforms should go on continuously in the armed forces. With this mindset, my government took several important steps in the last 10 years. With reforms, India is indulging in defence manufacturing of more than Rs 1 Lakh Crores. In the last 1 decade, our defence exports have increased by 18 times and touched Rs 21,000 crores,” President Murmu said.

She said that the government aims to provide the benefits of every government scheme to the poor, youth, women and farmers to build a developed India.

“It is possible to build a developed India only when the poor, youth, women and farmers of the country are empowered. Therefore they are being given top priority by my government. We aim to provide the benefits of every government scheme to them. India is working with the willpower that not even a single person should be left out of the government schemes. It is because of the government schemes that 25 crore Indians have come out of poverty in the last 10 years,” she said.

Highlighting the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the President that due to this campaign, the dignity of the life of the poor and their health have been made a matter of national importance.

“My Government is developing affordable and indigenous assistive devices for Divyang brothers and sisters. My Government is integrating social security schemes for workers. Work is being done to increase the coverage of accident and life insurance by using Digital India and the network of post offices. In the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the dignity of the life of the poor and their health have been made a matter of national importance. For the first time, toilets have been built for crores of poor people in the country. These efforts make us regret that today the country is following the orders of Mahatma Gandhi in the true sense,” she said.

President Murmu said that despite facing opposition, various reforms that have been done in the last 10 years are benefiting the country and have stood the test of time.

“My government is going to take one more decision, all the elderly above 70 years of age will get the benefit of free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Due to frequent opposition, prejudice, mentality and narrow selfishness, the basic spirit of democracy has been greatly harmed. This affects the Parliament as well as the country’s development journey,” she said.

“In the last 10 years, many such reforms have been done, which are benefiting the country today. When these reforms were being done, they were opposed but all these reforms have stood the test of time. Today GST is creating a medium to formalize India’s economy, to make trade and business easier. For the first time in April, GST collection has crossed the level of Rs 2 lakh crore. This has increased the profit of the states,” the President added. (ANI)

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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday reacted to the President’s Address to the joint session of both Houses of Parliament and said that it is a tradition and the speech in reality represents the government’s views.

“This is the tradition and it happens every time. We listen to the President. That is actually the speech of the Government,” said Akhilesh Yadav.

Speaking on the same, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari lashed out at the centre and called it a tired, defeated and crippled government that lacks willpower, adding to that he said, “There is nothing for the benefit of the nation, how will this government function? There is nothing new they talk about. It seems that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no regrets over the 2024 Lok Sabha election results.”

Congress leader Imran Masood said that the President’s address is all written up, adding to that he said, “Kejriwal is in jail. They (BJP) have put Hemant Soren as well in jail. It is no less than an emergency. The president’s address is all written up. there is nothing big in it.”

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu while addressing the joint session of both Houses of Parliament assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget.

“A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country,” she said.

“In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget,” President Murmu added.

“I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. All of you have come here after winning the trust of the voters of the country. Very few people get this privilege of serving the country and the people. I have full faith that you will fulfil your duties with the spirit of the nation first and will become a medium for fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore countrymen,” she said. (ANI)

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