The people of India have given a clear and stable mandate to the Modi government for a third time, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday as she addressed a joint sitting of Parliament.
The President also congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout recorded in the union territory in the recent Lok Sabha elections and lauded the Election Commission for holding the world's biggest democratic exercise.
Congratulating the new MPs in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, Ms. Murmu said she hoped they would act as the medium for fulfilling the aspirations of the people of India.
"A very good outcome has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir in this election. Voting records of decades have been broken," she said.
"In the last four decades, we only saw low voter turnout in Kashmir amid strikes and shutdowns. Enemies of India used to project it as the opinion of Jammu and Kashmir on the global stage. This time, the people of Jammu and Kashmir gave a befitting reply to such forces," she said.
Ms. Murmu said the whole world is talking about the 2024 elections.
"The world can see Indians have for the third time formed a government with a stable and full mandate," she said.
"This has happened after six decades. People have shown trust in my government for the third time. People of India are confident that only my government can fulfil their aspirations," she said.
"This is a stamp of approval for the mission of service and good governance that my government has run for the last 10 years," the President said.
‘Emergency biggest, darkest chapter of direct attack on Constitution’
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday described the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the “biggest and darkest chapter” of direct attack on the Constitution, and said the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces.
She said when the Constitution was being drafted, there were powers in the world who were hoping that India would fail. Even after the Constitution came into force, there were several attacks on the Constitution, she noted.
“Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975 was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India,” she said.
There were noisy protests by some opposition members when she referred to the Emergency in her address. However, she did not name any leader.
‘Many historic steps will be taken in upcoming Budget’
Many historic steps and major economic decisions will be taken in the upcoming budget, the President said.
The Budget that will be presented by the government in the next Parliament session will be a document of its futuristic vision, the President said in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the Constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.
“The Budget will have major economic and social decisions and many historic steps will be taken. The speed of reforms will be increased to fulfil the aspirations of people,” she said.
She said her government believes there should be healthy competition between States for investment. “This is in the spirit of competitive-cooperative federalism,” she added.
