CPI(M) criticizes PM Modi’s national address, stating it can’t replace structured parliamentary debate. The party points out the omission of key issues, including victims of cross-border shelling and the bravery of Kashmiris, while demanding a special Parliament session on national security concerns.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent national address, asserting that his speech cannot replace a structured discussion in Parliament. CPI(M) Politburo member and former Kerala education minister M.A. Baby said that in a functioning democracy, a one-way address to the public cannot be considered a substitute for formal parliamentary discourse.
“Democracy is not one-way traffic. The Prime Minister’s television oration cannot be a substitute for a structured discussion on the content of this statement in Parliament. The government remains answerable in a Parliamentary democracy,” Baby stated in a Facebook post.
Earlier in the day, prior to the Prime Minister’s speech, Baby had written to Modi requesting a special session of Parliament. The aim, he said, was to comprehensively address the ceasefire developments and associated national security concerns.
Following the Prime Minister’s televised speech, Baby further criticized Modi for omitting key issues. He pointed out that the Prime Minister failed to mention those who lost their lives in recent cross-border shelling incidents, nor did he acknowledge the grief of their families.
“In his rhetorical oration, the Prime Minister didn’t find time to even mention those who were killed in cross-border shelling and about their families,” Baby remarked.
Additionally, the CPI(M) leader accused the Prime Minister of overlooking the selfless acts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir during the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Baby noted that the locals had provided critical help to victims and had strongly condemned the act of terror—actions that went unmentioned in Modi’s speech.
Baby also expressed concern that the Prime Minister remained silent on the online trolling faced by India’s Foreign Secretary, who was criticized for representing the government’s stance.
The CPI(M)’s sharp remarks come amid growing demands from opposition parties for a more accountable and transparent approach to governance, particularly in times of national crisis.
