In a heated session in the Rajya Sabha, Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of selectively allocating budgetary funds to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar to “save the government” and “keep some people happy.”
Kharge criticised the union budget, claiming it favoured States where the BJP has coalition partners, while neglecting others, including his home State of Karnataka.
Kharge’s remarks sparked a brief walkout by the Congress and other Opposition parties. He condemned the perceived imbalance in allocations, arguing that it hinders balanced development across the country.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rebutted Kharge’s accusations, labelling them as baseless. She explained that the budgetary allocations were made to various States, even if not explicitly mentioned in her speech.
Sitharaman cited Maharashtra as an example, which received ₹75,000 crore despite not being named in the budget speech. She accused the Opposition of deliberately creating a false narrative.
Besides, Sitharaman criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC), highlighting that schemes allocated to West Bengal have not been implemented over the past decade. She described Kharge’s allegations as “outrageous.”
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his displeasure at the Opposition’s conduct. He asserted on the importance of maintaining decorum and slammed the Opposition’s walkout as a strategic disruption. Dhankhar called on party leaders to reflect on their actions, stressing the significance of Parliament as a bastion of democratic values.
Kharge concluded by reiterating the Opposition’s dissatisfaction with the budget, vowing that the INDIA bloc parties would protest from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
