NEW DELHI, 31 Jan: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that there was “nothing new” in President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament, asserting that she speaks about whatever the government has to say.
“If the government, through the president, is claiming that the country has progressed so much, why are the poor continuing to suffer due to unemployment and high inflation?” he said, even as he alleged that the schemes renamed by the Modi government are not reaching out to the poorest of the poor.
Kharge claimed that the new colleges and schools that the government claims has opened are all in the private sector as the poor people are unable to benefit from them as they cannot afford them.
“The president’s address is the government’s statement that has come through the president. It is not a new thing. It is only a routine matter and she has expressed those programmes and achievements which the government wanted her to say,” he told PTI.
The Congress chief, however, expressed regret that he could not attend the first address of the president to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, as he was in Jammu & Kashmir and failed to attend the same due to inclement weather.
“In fact, if those achievements are very good, then the people should not feel the pinch of inflation and unemployment. Even the investment is not coming.
“The government claims that it has removed corruption, but then how can one dupe LIC/SBI and other banks of nearly Rs 1 lakh crore? Now, nearly 30 crore people are suffering who have invested in LIC as that money has gone to one businessman who is very close to the prime minister.
“However, there is no action on such individuals and schemes which have duped the people of the country,” he said.
Kharge said that the government announces schemes with new names but they do not reach the common people.
“There was nothing new in the president’s speech, but all welcome it individually because the president is supposed to be impartial,” he said.
Asked about the president talking about every Indian being confident and India emerging as a self-reliant, strong nation, touching new heights and emerging as solution provider to the world under this government, he said, “I do not blame her, but it is Modi; whatever he told outside, she is saying so. If it is so, why is there so much inflation, so much unemployment? Why has the money value gone down and why is there such hike in petrol/diesel prices?”
“The government talks of opening so many schools, colleges, medical and engineering colleges. They are all in private sector and the common and poor people are unable to afford to go to such institutions,” he said, and asked the government to tell how many schools and colleges it has opened for the poor and their children.
“All the people who are suffering are realising this,” he said. (PTI)
