NEW DELHI: In a rebuttal to the opposition’s criticism of the Budget and the “language used by a few opposition MPs during the debate”, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju Thursday accused the opposition of engaging in mere politics rather than providing constructive feedback.
“The opposition has insulted the mandate of the people, which is not right for democracy. After the presentation of the first Budget of the historic third term under the leadership of PM Modi, the country wants to see that the discussion on the Budget takes place in a good and meaningful manner. The way the leaders of some parties commented during the budget session and the way they gave speeches, I would like to say that they have insulted the House by lowering the dignity of the budget session,” Rijiju said at a press conference.
The Union minister added the opposition did not say anything on the Budget, they just did politics in the House Wednesday. Rijiju asked why the opposition wasn’t ready to discuss budget allocations for tribals and farmers. He added elections were over and now the focus should be to work towards a developed India (Viksit Bharat) and hold constructive discussion on the Union Budget. He said floor leaders of political parties should direct the members not to create ruckus in Parliament and have a civilised and sensitive debate during the session.
During the general discussion on the Budget in Lok Sabha Wednesday, various opposition members accused the govt of doling out sops to key allies JD(U) and TDP, which govern Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively, to ensure the govt faces no hurdles from its coalition partners.
