The Congress on Wednesday slammed the Narendra Modi government after President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, alleging the Cabinet clears the speech every year like a recycled ritual, reusing the same set of claims without truth or accountability.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Viksit Bharat slogan is repeated loudly, "yet it has no clear goals, timelines and measurable outcomes".
"While making lofty speeches on 'development', the anti-poor, pro-crony Modi government has mercilessly dismantled MGNREGA -- an Act that guaranteed the Right to Work -- snatching away the only source of livelihood for crores of workers," Kharge said on X.
"What kind of Viksit Bharat is this, where the poor are denied the means to survive, and dignity is sacrificed for slogans," he posted.
In a joint sitting of Parliament, marking the beginning of the Budget session, President Murmu urged members of both Houses to stand united on issues such as the resolve for Viksit Bharat, and campaign for Swadeshi and national security, while asserting that these issues were beyond all differences.
She also said the government will continue to accelerate the momentum of "reform express" as she listed various economic and social initiatives taken to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Asked about the president's address, Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said, "Nothing was there; just a repetition of things they have done which they have told earlier also."
"Totally hollow speech prepared by the government that is customarily delivered by the President. Hollow promises of the government are repeated again and again," Venugopal said.
On opposition uproar as the President mentioned the new VB-G RAM G Act, he said, "We protested at that point in time. We are already on an agitation for the withdrawal of the VB law. That is why I said these are hollow promises of the Union government."
President Murmu's reference to the VB-G RAM G Act in her address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament sparked protests from opposition parties, which raised slogans, demanding a rollback of the law.
The President said the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act would provide a guarantee for 125 days of work, and stop corruption and leakages.
She also asserted that it would provide a new impetus to rural development.
Speaking with reporters in the Parliament House complex on the President's address, Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "The honourable President is only the spokesperson of the government for the purposes of this address. The address is written by the government and cleared by the cabinet."
"Under those circumstances, it was an insipid address; there was no vision which was laid out, only a list of alleged achievements of the government was read out. So, if there is one word to describe the address, it is -- insipid," Tewari said.
He asserted the opposition wants the VB-G RAM G Act be repealed and MGNREGA be reinstated.