President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday described India as a bridge in a conflict-ridden world and said even warring nations valued its word on key matters, while calling for unity on national issues.Marking the commencement of the Budget session of Parliament with her address to the joint session of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha today, Murmu hailed India’s “balanced, impartial, nation-first” foreign policy while flagging Operation Sindoor as a “responsible and wise response to terror”.In a speech interrupted by Congress MPs, including leaders of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi when she mentioned the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G law, the President urged all to bury differences for national interest. “Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru ji, Babasaheb, Sardar Patel, JP ji, Lohia ji, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal ji, all shared the belief that differences of opinion on issues are natural in democracy, but there are certain subjects which are beyond all differences,” Murmu said.She urged political unity on the goals of Viksit Bharat, national security, self-reliance, swadeshi and cleanliness. “On matters concerning the nation, parliamentarians must stand united. This is the spirit of our Constitution,” she said to applause from treasury benches led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Earlier, when she entered the Lok Sabha chamber and later when she lauded the new rural livelihood law, Congress MPs raised “Take back SIR “; “Take back VB-G RAM G Act” slogans. Murmu had to pause for some seconds—a moment ministers Kiren Rijiju (parliamentary affairs) and JP Nadda (leader of house in Rajya Sabha)called “unfortunate and condemnable”.“This new law will ensure 125 days of guaranteed employment in villages, stop corruption and leakages, provide new momentum to rural development and create new facilities for the farmers, livestock farmers and fishermen,” said Murmu.The President, in her remarks, noted the successful conclusion of the India-EU FTA negotiations and said, “Amid complex global circumstances, India is playing the role of a bridge in the world. Even nations engaged in conflict express their trust in India on important issues.”Ahead of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s record ninth budget this Sunday, Murmu said despite global crisis, India was the fastest growing major global economy and had kept inflation under control.This, she said, directly benefitted the poor and middle-classes, raising incomes and purchasing power. The President mentioned India’s growing indigenous defence capabilities and exports and successes against Naxal terror to say that the day was not far when the country would witness complete eradication of Maoist terror.She quoted the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur’s “fear none” message to frame India’s response to Pahalgam terror attack—Operation Sindoor. “Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji has taught us ‘Bhay kahu ko det nay, nay bhay manat aan’ (we should neither instil fear in others nor live in fear of others).”“India has proved that power can be wielded with responsibility and prudence. The world witnessed the valour of the Indian defence forces during Operation Sindoor. Using its own resources, the country destroyed base camps of terrorists,” the President said, adding that the Indus Water Treaty was part of India’s fight against terror.Besides flagging the Modi-led NDA rule as a “strong cornerstone for India’s rapid journey towards becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047”, the President called for fighting “Macaulay conspiracies and taking pride in Indian culture”.“Through Macaulay’s conspiracies, inferiority was instilled among Indians during the colonial period. For the first time since Independence, my government has shown the courage to strike a blow on this,” Murmu said, mentioning government efforts at preserving cultural heritage, including the retrieval of Lord Buddha relics for the first time in 125 years.The President also hailed the farmers for India’s record production of over 350 million tonnes of food grains last year and spoke of women-led development as the cornerstone of the NDA’s governance.