President Murmu Lauds India’s Democratic Exercise in Her Address to Parliament

New Delhi, 27th June 2024: New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session of Parliament on Thursday, stating that the people of India have given a decisive and stable mandate to the Modi government for the third time.

She praised the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections and commended the Election Commission for managing the world’s largest democratic exercise.

Congratulating the newly elected MPs in her first address to the joint session of Parliament following the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha, Murmu expressed hope that they would work to fulfil the aspirations of the Indian people.

“An excellent outcome has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir in this election. Voting records of decades have been broken,” she noted.

“For the past four decades, we saw low voter turnout in Kashmir amid strikes and shutdowns. Enemies of India used to project this as the opinion of Jammu and Kashmir on the global stage. This time, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have given a fitting reply to such forces,” she said.

Murmu highlighted the global attention on the 2024 elections, stating, “The world can see that Indians have formed a government with a stable and full mandate for the third time.”

“This has happened after six decades. People have shown trust in my government for the third time, confident that only my government can fulfil their aspirations,” she added.

“This is an endorsement of the mission of service and good governance that my government has pursued for the last ten years,” the President said.

She also mentioned that the upcoming budget would include significant economic and social decisions and historic steps to accelerate reforms to meet people’s aspirations.

The President emphasized the importance of healthy competition between states for investment, describing it as “competitive-cooperative federalism.”

Murmu noted that India has become the world’s fifth-largest economy, achieving an average growth rate of 8% over the last decade despite global challenges. She attributed this growth to the reforms of the past ten years, stating that India contributes 15% to global growth and aims to become the world’s third-largest economy.

Addressing the NEET controversy, Murmu assured that the government is committed to investigating recent paper leaks and ensuring that those responsible are punished.

Speaking on education, she highlighted the government’s efforts to create an environment where the country’s youth can dream big and achieve their goals. She stressed the need for sanctity and transparency in government recruitment and examinations and called for a strong national response to incidents of paper leaks.

Murmu also described the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the “biggest and darkest chapter” in Indian constitutional history, affirming that the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces.

She noted the significance of November 26 as Constitution Day, celebrating the document’s importance in public consciousness, and remarked that the Constitution is now fully in force in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had earlier criticized the state of Emergency imposed in 1975.

Murmu highlighted the high voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir, noting that the region had broken polling records of many decades, giving a fitting reply to the enemies of India.

She emphasized India’s role in addressing global issues, ranging from climate change to food security, and noted the country’s leadership in initiatives such as the International Year of Millets.

Murmu outlined the government’s ambitious goals in renewable energy and green mobility, emphasizing the commitment to making Indian cities pollution-free, clean, and well-equipped with amenities.