INDIA bloc protests at Parliament over "discriminatory" Union Budget

New Delhi, July 24: The opposition INDIA bloc MPs held a protest in the Parliament complex on Wednesday, against the Union Budget, presented on Tuesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

"Opposition virodhi kursi bachao Budget murda baad" slogans were raised by the INDIA bloc leaders as they protested holding placards in the Parliament building claiming that the Budget is "discriminatory" in nature.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party General Secretary KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC MP Dola Sen were seen participating in the protest.

"This is a deceitful Budget and it is injustice...," Congress chief Kharge said speaking to reporters during the protest.

On whether he will be participating the General Discussion of the Budget, Kharge said, "We will protest and then we will see."

Earlier on Tuesday, the INDIA bloc's Floor Leaders (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) held a meeting at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, "The concept of the budget has already been destroyed by this year's Union Budget. They have completely discriminated against most of the states. So the INDIA alliance meeting was held on how to oppose it."

After the meeting, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said they will hold the protest as the government has presented the "BJP's budget".

"We discussed the budget. Wherever there is a non-BJP government, the budget has been blacked out. In the name of development, there is nothing. we will hold a protest tomorrow in the Parliament regarding this. We will raise our voice inside the Parliament also. This is not the budget of the BJP, it is the budget of the whole country, but they have presented it as if it is BJP's budget," he said.

The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Union Budget 2024-25, accusing the Finance Minister of making hollow promises.

Taking to social media platform 'X,' 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."

Mallikarjun Kharge also took to 'X,' tweeting, "Modi Government's 'copycat budget' could not even copy Congress' justice agenda properly! The Modi Government's budget is distributing half-hearted 'rewadis' to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA survives. This is not a budget for the 'progress of the country,' it is a 'save Modi government' budget!"

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said that the Narendra Modi government has failed to conduct Census and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech on Tuesday did not mention funds for decadal Population Census which was supposed to take place in 2021.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also slammed the Union Budget 2024-25 calling it politically motivated, directionless, anti-people, and lacking vision.