President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that the Narendra Modi government’s tenure has been recognised as a “decisive” one as it has taken major decisions from Article 370 to triple talaq and carrying out surgical strikes across the border to counter-terrorism. She was delivering her maiden address to a joint sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session earlier today.
“From surgical strike to a firm crackdown on terrorism, from a befitting response to every misadventure from LoC to LAC, from abrogation of Article 370 to triple talaq, my government has been recognised as a decisive government,” the President said, amid frequent thumping of desks by lawmakers at the Central Hall of Parliament.
The Budget session of Parliament commenced today with the President’s address, followed by an address by Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankar. Following the address, the Economic Survey was tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She will present the Budget 2023-2024 on Wednesday.
Expressing her gratitude to the people for electing “a stable government for two consecutive terms”, the President said that the “decisive government has always kept the country’s interest paramount and shown the will-power to completely transform the policies and strategies when required”.
Laying out the government’s vision for building a developed India in the next five years, President Murmu underlined its thrust on ‘virasat’ (heritage) as well as ‘vikas’ (development) and said it has worked for all without any discrimination. She also cited the expansion of the digital network and the crackdown on corruption during the NDA government’s nine-year period.
“My government is of the firm opinion that corruption is the biggest enemy of democracy and social justice. Therefore, there has been a relentless fight against corruption in the last few years,” she said.
“In the last few years, the benami property Act was notified with a view to create a corruption-free ecosystem. The Fugtive Economic Offenders Act was passed to confiscate the properties of criminals who absconded after committing economic offences,” she said.
President Murmu further urged people to discharge their duties to the maximum to build in the next 25 years, by 2047, a nation, which not only embraces its glorious past, but also encompasses every golden aspect of modernity.
‘Amrit Kaal’, described by the government as the 25-year period culminating in the centenary of India’s independence, is the period of the golden centenary of independence and the making of a developed India, she said.
“We have to build an India which has no poverty and where the middle class is prosperous, and one whose youth and women are at the forefront to give direction to the society and the nation,” the president said.