BRS boycotts President Murmu address

New Delhi: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi boycotted President Droupadi Murmu's maiden address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.

Speaking to the mediapersons, BRS Parliamentary Party leader K Keshava Rao said the Opposition parties are not against the President and their boycott was to protest Centre's 'failures'. This is the second consecutive year for the BRS to boycott President's address.

He said the NDA government had made the President talk about social welfare, tribal welfare but there is no word about unemployment. Stating that there was no mention about rising prices, education and health, which is pushing over 60 lakh people into poverty every year, the BRS leader said his party would raise these issues in Parliament.

Party leader in the Lok Sabha, Nama Nageswara Rao said the party has a lot of respect towards President Murmu. He said the President's address had a mention about women empowerment. "In the all-party meeting ahead of the Budget Session, we had demanded women's reservations to be passed but there is no mention. They have talked about Ambedkar three to four times. We had demanded naming new Parliament Building after Dr BR Ambedkar but there was no response. They talked about farmers. We are giving Rythu Bandhu and the Centre is giving Rs 6,000 and in three instalments," said Nageswara Rao.

The BRS leader said that they had demanded the Centre to declare minimum support price (MSP) to all varieties of crops but there was no mention about farmers' issues. During the session, the party has decided to take decisions based on the issues taking the support of other Opposition parties.