India Bloc Parties to Protest 2024 Union Budget in Parliament Today: 10 Key Points

Congress chief ministers, along with several prominent leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and Sanjay Raut, boycotted the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27. This decision was made due to the perceived discrimination against states in the Union Budget and the government’s alleged disregard for federalism and fairness.

Following the high-level meeting, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal expressed discontent with the Union Budget, describing it as “extremely discriminatory and dangerous.” He claimed that the budget had destroyed the concept of a budget and discriminated against most states.

He asserted that the general sentiment of the INDIA bloc meeting was to protest against this perceived injustice. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the 2024-25 Union Budget, marking her seventh consecutive budget presentation.

She emphasized the stability of inflation and outlined various key points of the budget, including tax relief for new taxpayers, focus on job creation, and changes to the tax regime benefiting a broader range of income groups. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the budget, stating that it lays a strong foundation for ‘atmanirbhar’ Bharat and supports the Prime Minister’s vision to make India a developed nation by 2047.

He highlighted the benefits for first-time employees, professionals, and investors, as well as the development projects outlined for states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. In light of these developments, the Congress’ decision to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting and its criticism of the Union Budget reflect the ongoing political debates and tensions surrounding economic policies and state-federal relations.