New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha said that he is surprised that Pakistan doesn't fight its elections in India's name, but Indian elections are in Pakistan's name, The Indian Express reported. Kumar was referring to the multiple mentions BJP's Uttar Pradesh polls campaign has made about Pakistan and how the it is India's enemy.
During the vote of thanks to the President's address on Friday, Kumar also said the greatest threat to Indian democracy is "hero worship" and added that what the country needs during the pandemic rage is the government's empathy.
Jha alleged that the government is dividing the country based on religion. Anyone who tried to mess with the texts of the pasts or tried to change them had ended up as footnotes of history, while history stood unchanged, he said.
Further, he mentioned the protests of railway-job seekers regarding the recent recruitment drive conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board.
He said that the President is not watching what is happening in the country. He said that tear gas was employed in protesting job aspirants. Police lathi-charged them. If the President's address does not mention the protesters' hardships under police brutality, his speech is just a piece of paper, Jha said. President's speech should not be biased since President is the President of the country, and his concerns should be that of the country's.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said insecure governments could not build strong nations. Only governments that keep their strengths and weaknesses in front of the country could do that.
She further said that, after hearing the President's speech, she felt that India is now in its golden era. The youth are happy with their jobs, women are happy too and safe as well as politically empowered. President's speech invoked feeling that the commoner has no issues in the country, Priyanka said. President gave no mention of the farmers who died of the yearlong protest against the contentious farm bills, she added.