NEW DELHI: Lawmakers from the INDIA bloc will stage protests in parliament today over the 2024 Union Budget, which they have termed ‘discriminatory,’ while opposition-ruled state chief ministers plan to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting on July 27.A decision to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting was taken at a meeting by the INDIA leaders on Tuesday evening. The meeting was attended by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, TMC leaders Derek Obrien, Kalyan Banerjee, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, CPI leader P Sandosh Kumar and CPM’s K Radhakrishnan, among others. According to sources, the TMC will convey a final decision on the matter after consulting with party chief Mamata Banerjee. Even before the meeting, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin announced his decision to boycott the meeting.Announcing the Congress party’s decision on X, party general secretary K C Venugopal said that INC CMs will be boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting.“The Union Budget presented today was extremely discriminatory and dangerous, which completely goes against the principles of federalism and fairness that the Union Government must follow. This government’s attitude is completely antithetical to constitutional principles. We will not participate in an event that is solely designed to hide the true, discriminatory colours of this regime. In protest, INC CMs will be boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27,” he wrote.Apart from boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting, the opposition MPs have also decided to protest against the ‘discriminatory’ budget in Parliament on Wednesday and in the coming days, said a leader who attended the meeting. “On Wednesday morning, the MPs will protest outside Parliament and raise the issue in the House,” he said, adding that the opposition will not boycott proceedings.The opposition parties have also decided to issue a statement on Wednesday expressing concern over the deteriorating health of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is lodged in jail. The Aam Aadmi Party alleges that the BJP and Delhi LG VK Saxena are playing with the life of the Delhi CM and conspiring to kill him in jail.
Source link
