Opposition parties on Monday (February 3, 2025) took on the National Democratic Alliance government over issues ranging from caste census to Centre-State relations while participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha. However, NDA allies such as the Telugu Desam Party, countered that it was the people of the country who had given them the mandate to rule.
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Leading the charge from Opposition, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi claimed that the President’s address glorified “civilizational nationalism”. She also slammed the NDA government for not having commented on the findings of Iron Age in Tamil Nadu.
TDP MP Sribharat Mathukumilli countered by saying that even though the Opposition had made many accusations against the government, the people of India gave them a mandate.
“While the Opposition has made many accusations against the government that we are part of today… the population has decided that in spite of all these allegations, India is in the safe hands of the NDA in alliance with the TDP, the Jana Sena and other partners all over the country,” he said.
“Difficult times test our democracy but people have believed in our institutions”.
He recounted the days when the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP was out of power in Andhra Pradesh. “In 2019, when we lost power and the new government came to power in Andhra Pradesh, we very soon realised that fear became the tool of the government with demolitions, financial and psychological warfare, and assets being taken away.”
Another ally, D. Kamait of Janata Dal (United), also took part in the debate and defended the government policies.
Ms. Kanimozhi said the BJP government spoke about 3,500 years of Vedic civilisation, but “today we know that the Iron Age in India has been traced back to 5,345 years ago. Our Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has proudly proclaimed to the world, based on scientific evidence validated by international labs like Beta Analytics in Florida, that Thoothukudi district today holds within it the proof of iron smelting and usage”.
“This is the oldest finding in India till today. The Union government has till today not even commented on the findings which are very important internationally. When you exclude this truth you just don’t exclude us but you are excluding yourselves from the great legacy of Dravidian civilisation,” Ms. Kanimozhi said.
She also accused the NDA government at the Centre of dividing the society which would take ages to repair.
“Minorities are being made to feel on the edge. The government’s approach on issues like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, triple talaq, and lynching makes them feel threatened,” she said flagging the “increasing” attacks on civil society as well.
Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar expressed concerns over waiving of loans of billionaires while farmers are struggling.
“Not a single word was spoken about Manipur. Houses were burnt, women were gang-raped, and children were born in camps. The Prime Minister has no time to visit Manipur but visits election-bound States instead,” she said.
Congress MP form Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, said that the crisis in Manipur was not an isolated issue and was a national crisis.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said that government schemes were not delivering positive results and there was always a gap between the Centre’s words and deeds.
He also accused the BJP of forcing companies to shift investments from Maharashtra to Gujarat.
