President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint session of Parliament this morning
The state of emergency imposed in 1975 was the darkest chapter in a direct attack on the Constitution, President Droupadi Murmu said today in her speech to a joint session of Parliament. This is her first address to Parliament after the general elections elected a new Lok Sabha.
The Constitution, he said, has withstood all challenges and all tests in recent decades. “Today is June 27. The imposition of the State of Emergency on June 25, 1975 was the largest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged.”
“But the country emerged victorious from unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the heart of India,” he said, amid cheers from the treasury benches and protests from the opposition. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar echoed the president on the emergency and said he had “attacked the Constitution”.
The President’s comment comes in the backdrop of a heated exchange between the ruling BJP and the Opposition over Emergency. While central ministers, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have underlined the horrors of the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government, the Congress and its allies have said that an “undeclared emergency” is in place for the last 10 years of Narendra Modi’s rule.
The president’s comments also come in the context of the opposition’s constitutional push. At demonstrations outside the House and at proceedings inside it, opposition MPs have been holding up copies of the Constitution and accusing the ruling party of undermining it.
“My Government also does not view the Constitution of India simply as a means of governance; rather, we are making efforts to ensure that our Constitution becomes part of the public consciousness,” the President said in her speech.
The president’s address to Parliament is, broadly speaking, a document that outlines the government’s achievements and sets out its vision for the future. The speech is essentially prepared by the government and is followed by a debate on the Motion of Thanks.
India, the President said, has become the world’s fastest growing major economy and has moved from 11th in 2014 to 5th in terms of economy size. He said the government is now focused on its goal of making India the third largest economy. “The government is giving equal priority to all three branches – manufacturing, services and agriculture. India is becoming Atmanirbhar in all fields at a rapid pace.”
The President’s address also touched on the burning issue surrounding irregularities in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), an entrance exam for medical courses conducted across India.
The government, he said, is fully committed to investigating the recent paper leak incidents and ensuring that the culprits are punished. As he made these statements, cries of “NEET” were heard from the opposition benches.
“Sanctity and transparency are imperative in government recruitments and examinations. The government is committed to carrying out a fair investigation and ensuring strictest punishment to those guilty of the recent paper leak incidents,” he said, adding that it is necessary to rise above “partisan politics” and take firm action on the matter.
Emphasizing the need for smooth functioning of Parliament, he said opposition to policies and obstruction of parliamentary functioning are different.
“When Parliament carries out its activities smoothly, when healthy deliberations take place here, when far-reaching decisions are taken, then the people trust not only in the Government but also in the entire system. Therefore, I trust in which every moment of Parliament “Will be fully utilized and the public interest will be given priority,” he stated.