MPs from the opposition INDIA bloc staged a protest within the Parliament complex, criticizing the Union Budget presented the previous day by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
During the protest, which featured leaders brandishing placards, the INDIA bloc MPs chanted slogans such as “Opposition virodhi kursi bachao Budget murda baad,” denouncing the Budget as “discriminatory.”
Prominent figures participating in the protest included Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretary KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and TMC MP Dola Sen.
Congress President Kharge described the Budget as “deceitful” and “unjust,” expressing his dissatisfaction with the new financial plan. He commented to reporters, “This is a deceitful Budget and it is injustice.” When asked about his participation in the Budget’s General Discussion, Kharge noted, “We will protest and then we will see.”
Before the Opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha over what they called a ‘discriminatory’ Budget, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Yeh kursi bachane ke liye yeh sab hua hai. We will condemn it and protest against it. All INDIA alliance parties will protest. How will development happen if there is no balance?”
Prior to the protest, the INDIA bloc’s floor leaders from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha convened at Congress President Kharge’s residence to strategize. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal criticized the Budget, stating, “The concept of the budget has already been destroyed by this year’s Union Budget. They have completely discriminated against most of the states.” He indicated that the alliance meeting focused on opposition strategies.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari added, “We will hold the protest as the government has presented the ‘BJP’s budget.’ Wherever there is a non-BJP government, the budget has been blacked out. In the name of development, there is nothing. We will protest tomorrow in the Parliament regarding this. We will raise our voice inside the Parliament also. This is not the budget of the BJP, it is the budget of the whole country, but they have presented it as if it is BJP’s budget.”
On social media, Rahul Gandhi criticized the Budget, accusing the Finance Minister of making empty promises. He tweeted, “Kursi Bachao Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets.”
Mallikarjun Kharge also took to social media, tweeting, “Modi Government’s ‘copycat budget’ could not even copy Congress’ justice agenda properly! The Modi Government’s budget is distributing half-hearted ‘rewadis’ to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA survives. This is not a budget for the ‘progress of the country,’ it is a ‘save Modi government’ budget!”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government for its failure to conduct the Census, pointing out that Finance Minister Sitharaman’s budget speech did not address funding for the decadal Population Census, which was due in 2021.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also condemned the Union Budget 2024-25, describing it as politically motivated, directionless, anti-people, and lacking vision.