Opposition Walkout Over Alleged State Discrimination in Budget

The INDIA opposition bloc, led by Congress, staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha, alleging budgetary neglect of states except Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refuted the claims, noting all states benefit from central schemes. Tensions rose as MPs debated allocation fairness.

The INDIA opposition bloc, fronted by Congress, exited the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, decrying alleged budgetary exclusion of all states except Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dismissed these allegations as 'outrageous', emphasizing that previous budgets also didn't name all states specifically.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the Union Budget a 'kursi-bachao' document, accusing it of catering only to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The BJP, having lost its majority, is reliant on regional parties from these states for government formation.

Sitharaman highlighted that major projects were also sanctioned in states not named in the budget, such as Maharashtra's Rs 76,000-crore Vadhavan port project. Opposition members, however, remained unconvinced, leading to a heated debate over resource allocation.

(With inputs from agencies.)