President Murmu Lauds Jammu And Kashmir Voter Turnout In Lok Sabha Address
The people of India have given a clear and stable mandate to the Modi government for a third time, the President said.
President Droupadi Murmu commended the Indian electorate for delivering a clear mandate to the Modi government for a third term in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday.
The President also congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their significant voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections. She praised the Election Commission for successfully managing what is recognised as the world’s largest democratic exercise.
“A very good outcome has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir in this election. Voting records of decades have been broken,” Murmu said while highlighting the remarkable shift in voter engagement in a region historically plagued by low turnout due to strikes and shutdowns. She emphasised that the high voter turnout is a befitting reply to the narratives propagated by India’s adversaries on the global stage.
Amidst voices referring to the NEET scandal, she emphasised on the importance of sanctity and transparency particularly when government recruitments and examinations are involved. "The government is committed to conduct fair investigation and ensure the most stringent punishment to those guilty in the recent incidents of paper leak," she said.
Murmu expressed optimism that the newly elected Members of Parliament will act as representatives who can fulfill the aspirations of the Indian populace. "The people of India have given a clear and stable mandate to the Modi government for the third time," she noted.
All citizens aged above 70 years will be provided free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, President Murmu said.
Under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which is the largest publicly funded health insurance scheme in the world, free health services are being provided to 55 crore beneficiaries, Murmu said.
The budget that will be presented by the government in the next Parliament session will be a document of its futuristic vision, said the President. "India has become the world's fifth-largest economy. There has been an average 8% growth in the last 10 years, even though these were not normal times. India alone is contributing 15% to global growth," she said.
"Today is June 27. 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, amidst protesting noises from the opposition.
"The world can see Indians have for the third time formed a government with a stable and full mandate," remarked Murmu, reflecting on the global significance of the 2024 elections.
“The people of India are confident that only my government can fulfill their aspirations. This is a stamp of approval for the mission of service and good governance that my government has run for the last 10 years,” she concluded.
(With inputs from PTI.)
