President's speech ignores prime issues facing India: Trinamool

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Monday compared President Pranab Mukherjee's address to Parliament to the Om Puri movie 'Ardh Satya', saying it ignored half the issues confronting the country.

Participating in the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Roy also flayed the Narendra Modi government over demonetisation and "abusing the CBI" and asserted they will fight the Bharatiya Janata Party's regime 'lock, stock and barrel'.

"The President's speech reminded of a film starring Om Puri - Ardh Satya (half truth). He had failed to mention most of the important issues confronted by the country," said Roy opposing the Motion of Thanks.

"Kashmir, for more than six months, came to standstill following the killing of militant Burhan Wani. Over 100 people were killed during this period. But this issue failed to find a mention in his address.

"Similarly, the speech has mentioned demonetisation, but nothing about the people who died. He did not mention the country's biggest problem - lack of jobs," Roy added.

"People are dying in the country due to railway accidents. The President's speech does not mention a word.

"The President spoke about cultural diversity but did not mention intolerance, did not talk about the killings of Dalits in Gujarat," said Roy as he went on to attack the Modi government over demonetisation and political vendetta.

"Trinamool has been protesting against the anti-people and anti-national step of demonetisation. The central government in turn, abusing the CBI, got our MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Paul arrested.

"If through this political vendetta the ruling party thinks the Trinamool will cow down, then it is living in a fool's paradise. We shall never surrender, we shall fight till this government is overthrown by the people. We will fight this government lock, stock and barrel," added Roy.