"Usual litany of platitudes": Jairam Ramesh slams PM Modi's remarks at start of Monsoon session

New Delhi [India], July 20 : As the monsoon session of the Parliament began on Monday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address made right before the house proceedings, calling it a "litany of platitudes", asserting that the PM ignored the pertinent issues impacting the nation, such as NEET exam irregularities, Ram Mandir donation row among many others.
In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh also said the Modi Government's ongoing attempts to subvert our democracy and the federal set-up of the Constitution through a compromised delimitation process.
"The PM started off the Monsoon Session of Parliament with his usual litany of platitudes. What the PM failed to mention are the following issues, which the Opposition is committed to raising - i. The massive Chanda Chori Aastha Dhoka at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya executed by members of the RSS-BJP ecosystem that has shocked the nation's conscience ii. The NEET UG 2026 paper leak and the CBSE Grade 12 Board Examinations fiasco which has enraged the yuva shakti that the PM paid lip service to," he said.
He also slammed the Prime Minister for not addressing the "corruption claims" made against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other ministers.
"The dirty tricks and financial incentives being used to split Opposition parties iv. The credible accusations of corruption and conflict of interest that are plaguing the Union Cabinet Minister for Road Transport, the Minister of State for Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, the CM of Arunachal Pradesh, and the CM of Madhya Pradesh v. The Modi Government's ongoing attempts to subvert our democracy and the federal set-up of the Constitution through a compromised delimitation process, the One Nation One Election gimmick, and the unconstitutional VBSA Bill," he added.
Hours before, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed confidence that the Monsoon Session of Parliament would witness meaningful discussions, saying that "where there are facts and logic, there is no room for a storm," while highlighting India's economic resilience and recent development milestones.Speaking to reporters ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon Session, the Prime Minister said the world continues to face the persistent threat of conflicts, particularly in West Asia, which created serious challenges for energy-importing countries like India.
"We are well aware, and the entire world is concerned about the persistent threat of war in various regions. The conflict in West Asia posed a major crisis for countries like India that rely on others for energy. Numerous obstacles and crises arose regarding petrol, diesel, LPG, fertilisers, and chemicals. Despite this, India maintained a growth rate of 7.7 per cent, emerging as the fastest-growing major economy in the world," PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a veiled swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi while lauding India's growing space capabilities, saying he was referring to "28-year-old youngsters" behind the success of startup Skyroot Aerospace and "not any 56-year-old 'youngster'.
Referring to the team behind Skyroot Aerospace, he added, "The young people working in this 'Skyroot' startup--I have been told the average age of their entire team is only 28 years. Such youngsters have accomplished this work; I am not talking about any 56-year-old 'youngster,' I am talking about these startups in the country with an average age of 28 that have planted India's flag in space."
The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on Monday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce a Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Monday to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, with the proposed legislation seeking to make any obstruction or insult to the national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence.