Her speech addressed the imperatives of politics and governance as the NDA coalition began its third consecutive term in office with the BJP no longer in majority on its own in Lok Sabha.

It also echoed the government’s counter to the Congress-led Opposition’s election campaign of a threat to the Constitution if the BJP were to return to power.

Recalling the Emergency imposed in June 1975 when the Congress government of Indira Gandhi was in power, the President called it the “biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution”.

President Droupadi Murmu accompanied by her bodyguards on her way to the Parliament House on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

“The Constitution of India has stood up to every challenge and every test in the past decades. Even when the Constitution was in the making, there were forces in the world who wished India to fail. Even after the Constitution came into force, it was attacked many times. Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on 25th June, 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.

Murmu underlined that now “the Constitution has also fully come into force in that part of India, our Jammu and Kashmir, where the conditions were different due to Article 370.” This was a reference to the extension of the entire Constitution to J&K following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 that granted it special status.

On the election mandate, the President said, “At a time when the aspirations of people of India are at their highest ever, people have reposed faith in my government for the third consecutive term. The people of India have full faith that only my government can fulfill their aspirations. Therefore, this election of 2024 has been an election of trust in policy, intention, dedication and decisions: Trust in a strong and decisive government; trust in good governance, stability and continuity; trust in honesty and hard work; trust in security and prosperity; trust in government’s guarantees and delivery, trust in India’s resolve to be Viksit Bharat.”

“It is a stamp of approval for my government’s mission of service and good governance undertaken in the past 10 years. It is a mandate that the work of making India a developed nation continues uninterrupted and India attains its goals,” she said.

“My government will present its first budget in the upcoming session. This Budget will be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with major economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this Budget.”

She also spoke for the EVMs, which came under attack from the Opposition during the elections, and congratulated the Election Commission for the successful conduct of the polls.

“The people of India have always demonstrated complete trust in democracy and expressed full faith in the electoral institutions. We need to preserve and protect this trust to sustain our robust democracy. We must realize that hurting the faith of people in democratic institutions and the electoral process is like cutting the very branch on which we all are sitting. We should collectively denounce every attempt to undermine the credibility of our democracy. We all remember those times when ballot papers were snatched and looted. To ensure the sanctity of the electoral process, it was decided to use EVMs. The EVM has passed every test, from the Supreme Court to the people’s court, in the last few decades,” she said.

She highlighted the Lok Sabha election turnout in J&K: “A very heartening aspect of this election emerged from Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley broke all records of voter turnout of many decades. In the last four decades, we had witnessed low voter turnout amid shutdowns and strikes in Kashmir. Enemies of India continued to spread false propaganda at global forums, projecting it as an opinion of Jammu and Kashmir. But this time, the Kashmir Valley has given a befitting reply to every such element within the country and outside.”

Reaching out to thousands affected by alleged exam paper leaks leading to the cancellation of UGC-NET, postponement of CSIR UGC-NET and NEET PG, Murmu said there will be a fair probe and the guilty punished.

It is the continuous endeavor of the government to provide right opportunities to the youth of the country to demonstrate their talent. Whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment, there should be no reason for any hindrance. This process requires complete transparency and probity. Regarding the recent instances of paper leak in some examinations, my government is committed to a fair investigation and ensuring strict punishment to the culprits.”

In an oblique reference to Opposition attacks on the government over the alleged paper leaks, the President said, “Even earlier, we have witnessed many instances of paper leaks in different states. It is important that we rise above party politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide. Parliament has also enacted a strict law against unfair means in examinations. My government is working towards major reforms in examination-related bodies, their functioning and all aspects of the examination process.”

“In this era of communication revolution, disruptive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy and create fissures in the society. These forces are present within the country and are also operating from outside the country. These forces resort to rumor mongering, misleading the people and misinformation. This situation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked,” she said.

She disapproved of disruptions in Parliament. “We all need to always remember that making India a developed nation is the aspiration and resolve of every citizen of the country. All of us are responsible for ensuring that no obstacles come in the way of achieving this resolution. Opposition of policies and obstruction of parliamentary functioning are two different things. When Parliament conducts its business smoothly, when healthy deliberations take place here, when far-reaching decisions are taken, then the people repose confidence not only in the government but also in the entire system. Therefore, I am confident that every moment of Parliament will be fully utilized and public interest will be given priority.”

She also highlighted the achievements of the Modi government over the last 10 years, including its various welfare schemes such as free ration for 80 crore people, Kisan Samman Nidhi payments to farmers, an 18-fold jump in defense exports, GST collections crossing Rs 2 lakh crore for the first time this April, construction of 4 crore PM Awas houses, mostly allocated to women, abolition of interviews in recruitment to Group C and D posts in the Central government. She made special mention of women, youth, farmers and the poor – four groups Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been emphasizing on – in this regard.