Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Responds to Opposition’s Budget Criticism in Rajya Sabha
On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called the opposition’s allegations of discrimination in the Union Budget ‘outrageous.’ Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the budget, saying it favored Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, where BJP allies JD-U and TDP are in power.
Kharge’s Criticism
Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, claimed that no other states received significant allocations. He used the metaphor ‘sabki thali khali, do ki thali mein pakora, jalebi’ to describe the situation, implying that only two states benefited while others were left out.
He listed several states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, and Odisha, as examples of those that received nothing. Kharge accused the government of using the budget to secure political support, saying, ‘kursi bachane ke liye sab hua hai’ (everything was done to save the chair).
Sitharaman’s Response
Sitharaman refuted Kharge’s claims, stating that the opposition was trying to mislead the public. She pointed out that it is not possible to mention every state in a budget speech and highlighted a Rs 76,000 crore project announced for Maharashtra.
She challenged the Congress party to show if they had ever named every state in their budget speeches during their time in power. As opposition members walked out, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar warned that using disruption as a political strategy could threaten democracy.
Conclusion
The debate highlighted the ongoing tension between the ruling BJP and the opposition parties over budget allocations and political strategies.
Doubts Revealed
Finance Minister -: The Finance Minister is a person in the government who is responsible for managing the country’s money, including how it is spent and collected.
Nirmala Sitharaman -: Nirmala Sitharaman is the current Finance Minister of India. She helps make decisions about the country’s finances.
Opposition -: The opposition is a group of political parties that are not in power. They often question and criticize the decisions of the ruling party.
Budget -: A budget is a plan that shows how much money will be spent and earned by the government. It is usually presented once a year.
Rajya Sabha -: Rajya Sabha is one of the two houses of the Parliament of India. It is also known as the Council of States.
Congress President -: The Congress President is the leader of the Indian National Congress, a major political party in India.
Mallikarjun Kharge -: Mallikarjun Kharge is the current President of the Indian National Congress party.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is one of the major political parties in India and is currently in power.
Bihar -: Bihar is a state in eastern India.
Andhra Pradesh -: Andhra Pradesh is a state in southeastern India.
Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a state in western India.
Rs 76,000 crore -: Rs 76,000 crore is a large amount of money. One crore is equal to 10 million, so 76,000 crore is 760 billion rupees.
Rajya Sabha Chairman -: The Rajya Sabha Chairman is the person who oversees the meetings and discussions in the Rajya Sabha. Currently, it is Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Jagdeep Dhankhar -: Jagdeep Dhankhar is the current Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He helps manage the discussions and ensures rules are followed.
Democracy -: Democracy is a system of government where people choose their leaders by voting. It allows everyone to have a say in how the country is run.
