Kharge Slams Union Budget for Favoring BJP Allies

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for favoring BJP-ally states, sparking a protest in Parliament led by opposition leaders including Rahul and Sonia Gandhi.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the Union government of discrimination against states ruled by opposition parties in the latest budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge claimed the budget favored only two states, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, both crucial for the BJP's political survival.

"The budget that was presented yesterday, no state got anything except Bihar and Andhra Pradesh," Kharge remarked, accusing the government of distributing benefits unevenly. He listed several states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, that received no allocations.

Kharge condemned the budget as a means to secure the BJP-led government, which relies on support from JD(U) and TDP. Opposition leaders, including Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, held a protest in the Parliament complex, decrying the budget with chants of "Opposition virodhi kursi bachao Budget murdabad."

(With inputs from agencies.)