Congress Criticizes BJP Over Manipur's Exclusion in Union Budget 2024-25

The Congress in Manipur criticized the BJP-led central government for ignoring the state's issues in the Union Budget 2024-25. State Congress president K Meghachandra expressed disappointment over the lack of aid for flood and violence victims. Conversely, state BJP leaders praised the budget's focus on economic growth and inclusivity.

The opposition Congress in Manipur on Tuesday criticized the BJP-led government at the Centre, alleging negligence towards the state's plight amidst recent floods and ethnic violence in the Union Budget 2024-25.

State Congress president K Meghachandra accused the central government of showing partisanship in its budget allocation. 'There was partiality in the budget. The entire Northeast was not taken care of. Manipur was once again neglected,' he said, noting that while flood-hit Assam was mentioned, Manipur, which experienced two of the worst floods in over 20 years, was ignored.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the budget aims to position India among the top three largest economies globally by focusing on employment, skilling, MSMEs, and the middle class. 'More than 100 branches of India Post Payment Bank will be set up in the North East region,' he added, thanking the Prime Minister for initiatives aimed at economic empowerment in the region.

The state BJP lauded the budget for its holistic and inclusive development approach. State BJP spokesperson M Asnikumar stated, 'To achieve comprehensive social justice, we will employ a saturation approach to ensure all eligible individuals are covered by various programs, including those for education and health.'

(With inputs from agencies.)