Jairam Ramesh Criticizes PM Modi’s Government for Favoring BJP States in Budget 2024
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of showing double standards in the 2024 Budget. He claims that BJP-ruled states are receiving grants, while Congress-governed Himachal Pradesh is only getting repayable loans.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, “Yesterday, the self-anointed non-biological Prime Minister said that Viksit Bharat depends on Viksit states – wow, such a profundity. If only he put the taxpayer’s money where his mouth is!”
Ramesh pointed out that after the disastrous floods of 2023, Himachal Pradesh’s plea to declare the floods a national calamity was repeatedly rejected by the Union Government. He criticized the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech for illustrating the double standards by providing grants to BJP-ruled states and loans to Himachal Pradesh.
Ramesh added, “Basically, what the FM has said is that BJP-ruled states will get financial assistance in the form of grants. When it comes to INC-governed Himachal Pradesh, however, the assistance will be ‘arranged through multilateral development assistance’, i.e., loans that it will have to repay.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also criticized the central government, accusing it of favoring BJP-ruled states over opposition-ruled ones. She walked out of a NITI Aayog meeting, stating, “In the entire country, the way in which all the opposition-ruled states have been neglected while BJP-ruled states and their alliance members have been favored, we don’t have any objection if any state is given more money, but this is not acceptable that someone will get and someone will not get at all.”
Doubts Revealed
Jairam Ramesh -: Jairam Ramesh is a senior leader in the Indian National Congress, a major political party in India.
PM Modi -: PM Modi refers to Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who is the head of the government.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party in India that currently leads the central government.
Budget 2024 -: Budget 2024 is the financial plan for the year 2024, detailing how the government will spend money and collect revenue.
Congress -: Congress, or the Indian National Congress, is one of the oldest political parties in India and is currently in opposition to the BJP.
Grants -: Grants are sums of money given by the government that do not need to be paid back.
Repayable loans -: Repayable loans are sums of money given by the government that must be paid back over time.
Himachal Pradesh -: Himachal Pradesh is a state in northern India, known for its beautiful mountains and landscapes.
National calamity -: A national calamity is a severe disaster that affects a large part of the country, like floods or earthquakes.
Mamata Banerjee -: Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of West Bengal, a state in eastern India, and a leader of the Trinamool Congress party.
