Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Congress Leaders Boycott NITI Aayog Meeting Over Union Budget
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 24: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that Congress Chief Ministers have decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting. He stated that there is no justice for opposition-ruled states from the Centre. Shivakumar said, “There is no ‘Niti’ (policy); it has gone. There is no justice here. So, our leaders have decided in the interest of the protest over no proper representation in the budget.”
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also criticized the Union Budget 2024, calling it discriminatory. He announced that Congress Chief Ministers would boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, a key ally of Congress, also said he would not attend the meeting, calling the budget discriminatory.
Venugopal took to social media platform ‘X’ to express his views, stating, “The Union Budget presented today was extremely discriminatory and dangerous, which completely goes against the principles of federalism and fairness that the Union Government must follow. In protest, INC CMs will be boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for 27th July.”
After Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first Budget in Narendra Modi 3.0, opposition parties criticized it, terming it the “Kursi Bachao Budget.” The ruling party and its allies, however, called it the roadmap for a “Viksit Bharat.”
The budget included special schemes for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, led by BJP allies TDP and JDU. Andhra Pradesh received Rs 15,000 crore for developing its capital, Amaravati, while Bihar got development projects worth Rs 58,900 crore.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi also criticized the budget, accusing the Finance Minister of making hollow promises. He tweeted, “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.”
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka -: Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It has its own government and Chief Minister.
Deputy CM -: Deputy CM stands for Deputy Chief Minister. This person is the second-in-command in the state government, just below the Chief Minister.
DK Shivakumar -: DK Shivakumar is a politician from Karnataka and a member of the Congress party. He is currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Congress -: Congress is one of the major political parties in India. It has been in power many times since India became independent.
Boycott -: Boycott means to refuse to participate in something as a way of protesting. In this case, it means not attending the meeting to show they are unhappy.
NITI Aayog -: NITI Aayog is a government organization in India that helps plan and develop policies for the country. It replaced the Planning Commission.
Union Budget -: The Union Budget is a financial plan presented by the government of India every year. It shows how the government will earn and spend money.
KC Venugopal -: KC Venugopal is a senior leader in the Congress party. He helps make important decisions for the party.
MK Stalin -: MK Stalin is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, another state in India. He is a leader of the DMK party, which is different from Congress.
Discriminatory -: Discriminatory means treating some people unfairly compared to others. In this context, it means the budget is seen as unfair to some states.
Finance Minister -: The Finance Minister is the person in the government responsible for managing the country’s money. Nirmala Sitharaman is the current Finance Minister of India.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is another major political party in India and is currently in power at the national level.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a senior leader in the Congress party. He is the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
