Opposition INDIA bloc MPs will stage a protest in Parliament on Wednesday against the “discriminatory” Budget tabled by the Narendra Modi government. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the INDIA bloc allies on Tuesday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Budget. “Today we had a detailed discussion on this budget. This budget is zero in the name of development. We will protest against this budget tomorrow outside the Parliament and raise our voice inside the Parliament. This budget is against the federal structure of India,” Congress’ Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari said after the meeting. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said DMK MPs will also stage a protest in Delhi against the Budget. The DMK chief also announced that he will boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27 and alleged that the Centre “ignored” Tamil Nadu in the Budget. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states too will boycott the meet. In context: Opposition parties on Tuesday criticised the first Budget of the third Narendra Modi government as a Budget for “NDA allies in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh” that excluded other states. While the Congress called it a “ ‘save Modi government’ Budget,” the Trinamool Congress (TMC) labelled it “politically biased and anti-poor,” and the Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed that it overlooked the interests of the youth and farmers. “The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC’s Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program clearly modelled on the INC’s proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki. However, in their trademark style, the scheme has been designed to grab headlines, with arbitrary targets (1 crore internships) rather than a programmatic guarantee for all diploma holders and graduates, like the Indian National Congress had envisioned,” Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh said. Recommended Readings: Interim budget to now, BJP govt changes tack, shows poll lessons learnt Budget reflects Modi govt’s new reality: Allies, job concerns, MSME issues Budget salves Bihar’s special status wound, JD(U) says state ‘taken care of’ Jagan to protest in Delhi over “anarchy in Andhra” YSR Congress (YSRCP) chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will lead a peaceful protest in New Delhi on Wednesday to draw the nation's attention towards “the lawlessness and anarchy that have plagued" Andhra Pradesh since Telugu Desam Party (TDP) assumed power. “We will be holding a peaceful protest in New Delhi on the 24th of this month (July) the coming Wednesday. This is to draw the nation's attention to the lawlessness and anarchy that have plagued Andhra Pradesh in the 45 days since the (N) Chandrababu Naidu regime has come to power, ” Reddy said in a post on social media platform X last week. YSRCP MLAs, MPs and MLCs will take part in the New Delhi protest. Reddy said appointments have also been sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise them of the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state due to the alleged atrocities of the TDP-led government. The former chief minister alleged that the new regime of the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena Party (JSP) is "trying to kill democracy in the state" and vowed that the YSRCP will not stand for it. Uttarakhand Congress to hold ‘Kedarnath Bachao Padyatra’ The Uttarakhand Congress will begin a padyatra from Wednesday in protest against the proposed construction of a replica of the Kedarnath temple in Delhi. The Kedarnath Bachao Padyatra will start from Haridwar on July 24 and conclude at Kedarnath Dham, Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara said. "We will embark on the yatra after taking a bath in the Ganga at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. The yatra is expected to reach Kedarnath Dham in 14-16 days passing through various areas of Garhwal," he said. Meanwhile, senior party leader Harish Rawat said that he would also join the padyatra in Rishikesh and Agastyamuni. Congress to gherao Chhattisgarh Assembly over “lawlessness” The Congress will gherao the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Friday to protest against the alleged deteriorating law and order situation, particularly the violence in Balodabazar city last month. The monsoon session of the Assembly is currently in progress and will conclude on July 26. State Congress chief Deepak Baij on Sunday said the last seven months of the Vishnu Deo Sai government saw four incidents of firing in the state capital, and inter-state gangsters have been spreading tentacles in Chhattisgarh. "There have been countless incidents of stabbing, looting, robbery and chain-snatching. The BJP has failed to protect the common man," he claimed. – With PTI inputs
