Space To Economy, Prez Hails India's Growth Areas

The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370, and the law against triple talaq, all long-standing demands of the majority of Indians, were achieved in the past decade, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday, prefacing the last parliamentary session of the second Narendra Modi government with an opening address to a joint sitting of Parliament.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

In an 80-minute speech in the new Parliament building, Murmu presented the government's achievements over 10 years across a variety of areas, offering a glimpse into the issues the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will focus on ahead of the 2024 elections.

"Since childhood, we have been hearing the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (Indira Gandhi's plank in 1971). Now, for the first time in our lives, we are witnessing eradication of poverty on a massive scale," the President said, adding that poor people, along with youth, women and farmers would be the four "strong pillars of Viksit (developed) Bharat".

From security to space, digital infrastructure to women's empowerment, agriculture to foreign affairs, and the economy to the climate crisis, the President's speech listed policies, schemes, and milestones, often comparing the current position with what was before the Narendra Modi government took charge in 2014.

Speaking in the new Lok Sabha chamber, Murmu said, "For centuries, there was an aspiration to construct the Ram Mandir. Today it is a reality. There were doubts regarding the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Those are now history. This Parliament also enacted a strict law against Triple Talaq...," amid thunderous applause from ruling lawmakers led by Modi.