Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Monday (July 1), heavily criticized the central government in his response to the President's address in Rajya Sabha.
Starting with his reply to President Droupadi Murmu's joint address to Parliament, the Congress leader said, "The President is the most important part of Parliament, and we respect the President. This year, the President's first address was in January and the second in June. The first address was for elections, and the second was a copy of it. There was nothing for Dalits, minority sections, and the backward classes in her address."
"There was neither vision nor direction in the President's address. Like last time, it was just full of words of appreciation for the government," he added.
Further, in his reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition also targeted the central government. Attacking PM Modi over the boiling tensions in Manipur, Kharge said, "PM Modi is an expert only in giving slogans. Manipur has been burning for the last year, but PM did not visit the state."
Moreover, continuing with his attack, Kharge claimed, while, 'opposition parties talk about the common man while PM Modi does only his Mann Ki Baat'. He also appealed to Rajya Sabha chairman to put back statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, others in their original places in Parliament complex.
Kharge in his speech also demanded scrapping of 'Agniveer' scheme. He said, "The morale of the youth has been shattered by bringing an unplanned and 'tughlaqi' scheme like Agniveer...I demand that Agniveer scheme should be stopped."
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, during the session, refused to admit four notices raised by the MPs to discuss irregularities and leaks in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency.
Citing the reason that the President, in her address to the joint session of both Houses, had already mentioned the government's commitment to a fair investigation, the Rajya Sabha Chairman refused to admit the notices.
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