Mallikarjun Kharge Criticizes Union Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman Defends Allocation
New Delhi, July 24: Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, questioned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Union Budget, claiming that most states received no significant allocations. He stated that only Bihar and Andhra Pradesh benefited, while major states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh were neglected.
Kharge expressed his disappointment, saying, “All the INDIA alliance parties will protest from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.” Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar intervened, asking Kharge to let the Finance Minister speak. Kharge responded, “Mataji bolne mai toh expert hai mujhe maloom hai.” Dhankar reminded Kharge that Sitharaman is like his daughter.
After Kharge walked out, Dhankar warned that democracy would be threatened if disruption became a political strategy. He emphasized the importance of parliamentary discussion and criticized the opposition’s tactics.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman countered Kharge’s claims, calling them “outrageous” and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. She explained that not naming states in the budget speech does not mean they are ignored. She cited Maharashtra as an example, which received significant funds despite not being mentioned.
The opposition INDIA bloc MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav, protested against the budget, calling it “discriminatory.” They held placards and chanted slogans in the Parliament complex.
Doubts Revealed
Mallikarjun Kharge -: Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior politician in India and the President of the Congress party, which is one of the major political parties in the country.
Union Budget -: The Union Budget is a financial plan presented by the government of India every year. It outlines how the government will spend money and collect taxes for the upcoming year.
Nirmala Sitharaman -: Nirmala Sitharaman is the Finance Minister of India. She is responsible for presenting the Union Budget and managing the country’s finances.
Bihar and Andhra Pradesh -: Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are two states in India. Bihar is in the eastern part of the country, while Andhra Pradesh is in the southern part.
Rajya Sabha -: The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of India’s Parliament. It is similar to the Senate in other countries and helps make laws.
Jagdeep Dhankar -: Jagdeep Dhankar is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, which means he oversees the meetings and discussions in this house of Parliament.
Finance Minister -: The Finance Minister is a government official responsible for managing the country’s money, including the budget, taxes, and financial policies.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader in the Congress party and a Member of Parliament in India. He is also the son of Sonia Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi -: Sonia Gandhi is a senior leader in the Congress party and the mother of Rahul Gandhi. She has been a significant figure in Indian politics for many years.
discriminatory -: Discriminatory means treating some people or groups unfairly compared to others. In this context, it means the budget is seen as unfair to certain states.