Can’t Name Each State In Budget, Says Nirmala Sitharaman Amid Opposition Protest

New Delhi: At a time the Opposition parties protested against the Union Budget 2024-25 in the Parliament—dubbing it to be discriminatory—Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday claimed that it was an ‘outrageous allegation’ and a deliberate attempt by the Opposition, led by the Congress, to send a wrong message about the allocations to the people.

She added that the Opposition was trying to mislead people by showcasing that their states were not allocated funds or schemes.

Budget is discriminatory: Opposition

However, the INDIA bloc leaders staged protests in and outside Parliament on Wednesday claiming the recently-unveiled Budget was a “discrimination” against opposition-ruled states. According to reports, both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha began on a stormy note on Wednesday.

The Finance Minister, in her address to Rajya Sabha, said: ‘Can’t name every state in Budget.’

As the minister was speaking, several Opposition members briefly walked out of the Upper House. They returned to their seats later.

The decision to stage protest was taken during a meeting of the leaders of the INDIA bloc at the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday evening, media reports claimed.

The meeting was reportedly attended by Rahul Gandhi, Congress’ deputy leaders in both houses Pramod Tiwari and Gaurav Gogoi, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Kalyan Banerjee, DMK’s TR Baalu, JMM’s Mahua Maji, AAP’s Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, and CPI(M)’s John Brittas. Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh were also present, according to reports.

Earlier on Tuesday, BJD MPs in Rajya Sabha had walked out when the Union Budget was being laid as they strongly protested against the ‘continued neglect of Odisha in the Union Budget.’  ‘Before Walking out, the BJD MPs strongly said in the House that they are walking out due to denial of Special Category State status to Odisha,’ MP Sasmit Patra had said.

Congress CMs to skip NITI Aayog meeting on July 27

In continuation to their protest, Congress chief ministers have also decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled to be held on July 27.

What did Opposition leaders say?

“… We were all asking for MSP for farmers, a package for farmers and the poor. But this government is giving packages to those who are running the government… Not that we are not in favour of states getting packages for development, but other states should not be compromised…..”Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav told reporters outside Parliament.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi  claimed that a delegation of farmers was not allowed to meet him in his office in the Parliament. “We had invited them (farmer leaders) here to meet us. But they are not allowing them here (in Parliament). Because they are farmers, maybe this is the reason they are not allowing them in,” he alleged.

Condemning the ‘discriminatory’ Budget, AAP MP Raghav Chadha said, “Almost everyone is disappointed with this budget except two persons, Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu… All the economic reports conclude that income is not rising but the prices are rising in the country. The government has paralysed the investors of the nation….”

What did Rajya Sabha Speaker say?

Speaking about the walkout staged by the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, House Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “Hon’ble Members, discussion on the Budget was listed today and I gave the floor to the Leader of the Opposition in expectation that rules will be followed. I find it has been used as a ploy and a strategy. Hon’ble Members, I strongly plead with you. Democracy will be seriously threatened if disruption and disturbance are weaponised as a political strategy as has been done now…..”