Budget '24 Budget 2024 row: 'Can't name every state,' says Nirmala Sitharaman countering Opposition's 'discrimination' charge
New Delhi/IBNS: Countering the Opposition's charge that the Modi government's budget is "discriminatory", Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said it is impossible for her or anyone else to name all states during the address.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman slammed Congress floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge and said she was surprised to hear such a charge coming from a senior parliamentarian like him.
"Can't name every state in the budget," said Sitharaman, who claimed poll-bound Maharashtra was also given sufficient funds but was not named during the address.
Sitharaman has also lashed out at the Trinamool Congress MPs, who claimed West Bengal has been deprived, claiming the state never implemented the central schemes in the last 10 years.
"West Bengal should course correct," said the furious Finance Minister.
मोदी सरकार का बजट भेदभावपूर्ण है, देशवासियों के साथ अन्याय है।
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 24, 2024
हम इसके खिलाफ आवाज बुलंद करते रहेंगे।
📍संसद परिसर, नई दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/uUrWpzsyPh
Why does the Opposition call the budget discriminatory?
While focusing on employment generation and rural development, the two components that supposedly cost the Narendra Modi government an absolute majority in its third consecutive term, the historic seventh Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spent a considerable pie for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, the two states ruled by major allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA, which returned to power with coalition strings attached.
Delivering the Union Budget 2024, Sitharaman announced Special Financial Support for Andhra Pradesh, where Rs 15,000 crore have been directed with additional amounts in coming years.
For Bihar, Sitharaman announced support for the development of an industrial node in Gaya on the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor.
The government will, as the Finance Minister said, support the several road connectivity projects, Patna Purnea Expressway; Buxar Bhagalpur Expressway; Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbhanga spars.
An additional tooling bridge over River Ganga at Buxar at a total cost of 26,000 crore was announced.
Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, "'Kursi Bachao' Budget.- Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. - Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. - Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets."
“Kursi Bachao” Budget.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 23, 2024
- Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states.
- Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian.
- Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that her state has been deprived of support to tackle natural disasters while four states have been given funds from the budget.
"They (BJP) come to Darjeeling for votes but forget the people from the district once the elections are over," she said and added, "Floods and natural calamities are an annual ordeal for West Bengal, yet the Centre snubs us from the flood management fund! What's West Bengal's fault? Is it for voting against you?"
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