Madhya Pradesh Assembly Adjourned 14 Days Early Amid Budget Controversy

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned 14 days ahead of schedule after passing the Rs 3.65 lakh crore state budget for 2024-25. The opposition demanded a vote but was denied. Clashes ensued over issues like the alleged nursing scam and a controversial bill affecting madarsas' right to administer educational institutions.

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned sine die 14 days ahead of schedule after the passage of the Rs 3.65 lakh crore state budget for 2024-25. The proposal for the budget was moved by Finance Minister Jagdish Devda but faced opposition from the Congress, who demanded a vote, which was denied by Speaker Narendra Tomar, leading to the adjournment of the House.

Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar expressed his party's discontent, claiming that the ruling party was attempting to avoid discussions on critical issues such as the alleged nursing scam. Earlier, tension rose as BJP legislator Abhilash Pandey introduced a private member's bill to quash Article 30 of the Constitution, challenging the rights of minorities to administer educational institutions like madarsas. This was supported by Rameshwar Sharma but opposed by Congress' Atif Aqueel, who accused the BJP of diverting attention from the nursing scam.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is currently scrutinizing alleged irregularities in nursing colleges in the state, following a directive for reinspection by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The investigation had earlier identified 169 colleges as suitable for functioning and found discrepancies in others. The Congress has particularly targetted former Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang for his alleged involvement in the scam.

(Disclaimer: With inputs from agencies.)