The INDIA bloc parties will protest in and outside of Parliament on Wednesday over the “discriminatory” Union Budget 2024 that was presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday.
The opposition has argued that the Budget was lop-sided and in favour of NDA allies JD(U) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and other Opposition leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee said the BJP gave sops to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh to ensure a stable government at the Centre. “The Budget is about ‘kursi bachao’”, they quipped.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had criticised the Central government for overlooking the flood situation in West Bengal, and not granting funds to the state.
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal had called the Budget “extremely discriminatory and dangerous, which completely goes against the principles of federalism and fairness that the Union government must follow”.
Therefore, the Congress and DMK chief ministers have decided to not attend the Niti Aayog meeting on July 27. The Niti Aayog platform is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi where states represented by the chief ministers present their pitch for allocation of funds.
“This government’s attitude is completely antithetical to Constitutional principles. We will not participate in an event that is solely designed to hide the truth, and discriminatory colours of this regime,” Venugopal said.
The BJP has called the boycott of NITI Aayog “anti-people” and “irresponsible”. They said the NITI Aayog meeting could have been used as a platform by the CMs to raise their concerns and get something in return. It’s now a missed opportunity for them as per the BJP.
Maharashtra, which will go to polls in a couple of months, was not mentioned in the Union Budget. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and other leaders of his party questioned the government on why his state was ignored. The Maha Vikas Aghadi is bound to label the BJP as anti-Maharashtra and will use the Budget to campaign against the saffron party in the state.
No doubt that the Budget has emerged a unifying factor for the INDIA bloc, which will use it by boycotting meeting NITI Aayog meeting and organise joint protests.
In politics, the one who benefits is a winner. But at times, those who don’t use the opportunity, win too.
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