Today, in response to the opposition demands to reopen the Union Budget charging discriminations against certain states, Union Finance Minister Sitharaman was quite gutsy. Speaking on the Zero Hour of Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman targeted the congress-led opposition about formulation of a mistress pretending as if the states having opposition rule have been ignored.
In every Budget, one doesn't get an opportunity to name every state of this country.
For example, the Cabinet in June had taken a decision to set up a port on Vadhavan in Maharashtra. More than Rs 76,000 crores have been allocated for that. Maharashtra's name wasn't mentioned in… pic.twitter.com/mhv3eCuEA3
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) July 24, 2024
To a question whether all states cannot be named in the Budget speech, Sitharaman said no it cannot be done and to claim that several central government programs are under implementation but the name of the state is not given does not hold true. She categorically pointed out that out of hundred percent power projects which have been cleared by the Union Cabinet during the last one year, fifty percent power projects are already in Maharashtra and West Bengal and between vote on account and the recent Budget, several development projects in Maharashtra & West Bengal have been cleared by the Union cabinet.
The opposition parties did not buy this argument all together with the Leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the government of presenting the union budget with a motive of saving the government. Thus, Sitharaman made a comeback after Kharge questioned that development can take place if there is no balance in the Budget.
The opposition parties walked out from the Upper House after Sitharaman’s clarification on the farm laws. Parallel protests were also noticed in the Lok Sabha in which the congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, TMC, and others accused the government of discriminating between states apart from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
Hear in detail, Om Birla and Kiren Rijiju of the government side protested stating that, it is not right to disrupt the house during Question Hour.
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