New Delhi [India]: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is likely to speak on the Union Budget 2024 at 2 pm in the Lower House today.
According to the sources, Congress MPs believe that, as the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul must address the House.
Earlier, in a meeting with Congress Lok Sabha MPs, Rahul Gandhi stated that since he has already spoken during the special session of Parliament, he believes others should also be given a chance on a rotational basis, instead of him speaking every time.
As per the sources, party MPs are insisting that Rahul’s address will have a significant impact as the Leader of the Opposition, and thus he should speak. According to sources, Rahul has not made a final decision yet, but due to the pressure from MPs, he will decide today morning.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the Union Budget presented on Tuesday, saying that it is an attack on the “dignity of India’s federal structure”.
“This budget is an attack on the dignity of India’s federal structure – in the greed to save power, there is neglect of other states of the country, there is discrimination against them,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on Facebook.
The Congress MP participated in an INDIA bloc protest against the Budget at the Parliament complex on Friday.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged discrimination with opposition ruled states in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and said her speech mentioned projects for only two states.
Speaking briefly in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge, who is Leader of Opposition in the House, alleged such budget has never been presented and it has been done to save the BJP-led government, which is dependent on support of JD-U and TDP for its survival.