Kharge Criticizes Union Budget, Labels It 'Discriminatory'

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing it of being discriminatory. While speaking at Rajya Sabha, he claimed that numerous states, excluding Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, received no allocation. Finance Minister Sitharaman defended the budget, calling the allegations 'outrageous.'

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday questioned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Union Budget. He claimed that except for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, other states had been neglected in budget allocations. Kharge named states such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh as having received nothing in the budget.

During his speech at the Rajya Sabha, Kharge remarked, 'Sabke thali khali aur do ke thali mai pakoda aur jalebi,' implying discrimination against opposition-ruled states. He condemned the budget, accusing it of aiming to keep a select few happy, and vowed that the INDIA alliance would protest from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar interrupted, suggesting Kharge let the Union Finance Minister speak, but Kharge criticized her expertise in oratory.

Chairman Dhankar expressed concern over the use of disruption as a political strategy, emphasizing that democracy would be at risk if such tactics continued. He accused the opposition of using the budget discussion as a ploy against democratic procedures. Finance Minister Sitharaman defended the budget, calling Kharge’s allegations 'outrageous' and asserting that the Congress was misleading people. Highlighting allocations like the 76,000 crores for Maharashtra's Vadhvan port, Sitharaman challenged the opposition to match their claims with facts.

In a show of dissent, opposition INDIA bloc MPs, including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, protested in the Parliament complex, holding placards and chanting slogans against the budget. They labeled it as 'discriminatory' and accused the government of ignoring states led by opposition parties.