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Budget 2024: Opposition Slams Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Allocations, Terms It As ‘Kursi Bachao Budget’

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Budget 2024: Opposition Slams Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Allocations, Terms It As 'Kursi Bachao Budget'

New Delhi: Several crucial announcements were made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting Union Budget 2024, the budget has invited mixed reactions. While some states like Andhra Pradesh have thanked Centre for a favourable budget, many others from the Opposition have pointed out flaws, heavily criticising the Centre for the announcements.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, “This is a ‘kursi bachao’ budget.” He accused the Centre of forming a budget favourable for those required to be pampered at the moment for the BJP. He said that the budget does not account for the whole of India but only a few some who the NDA needs to keep happy for political gains at this time. Slamming the BJP for allegedly not announcing any special allocation for West Bengal, the TMC leader said, “This Budget is not for India. They have not given anything to Bengal. They can’t tolerate Bengalis. The BJP will be wiped out of Bengal.”

Reactions on allocations for Bihar

Independent MP Pappu Yadav said, “They are saying that they will give 4 cr jobs, how many jobs have you given in last 10 years? What about the issue of migration from Bihar?… Nitish Kumar is a kingmaker but you didn’t get the special package… Now you are saying that don’t give us special state status but a package, why are you begging?… Talk about special state status, no central university has been announced. You don’t need to withdraw support, just leave the cabinet, I think Nitish Kumar is a serious person.”

Other opposition reactions

UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, “… If the main things come forward, the government will be exposed. The government is mistaken and is showing off… This budget has nothing and is merely misleading.”

Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad says, “…If we won’t get our share of the Budget then we will put forward our views and protest against it… Those who were not even considered human, what would be given to them (SCs and STs)? According to a report, the MP government diverted SC and ST’s budget to animal welfare… We are here to protect the rights of our people…”

SP: No relief for Uttar Pradesh farmers

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the budget saying that its fine to attempt to save their leadership however, farmers of Uttar Pradesh have been totally ignored.

Congress: It has political compulsions written all over it

Congress MP Manish Tiwari said, “There is an English proverb which says that the tail wags the dog, and that’s the political message of this Budget. It has political compulsions written all over it,”

Punjab had expected farmer loans to be waved

Even Punjab seems unhappy with the budget as just moments before the budget was presented, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had said, “I expect that the farmer loans are waived and that MSP is made a legal guarantee. The economic survey shows that 50% of the youth of India lacks the necessary skills to even land jobs. Unemployment, inflation, farmer issues and farmer loans are major issues. I hope these issues are addressed.”

The Finance Minister presented the first Union Budget of the Modi 3.0 government and her seventh consecutive one on Tuesday. The budget session of Parliament began on July 22.

National News

‘Plans underway to arrest CM Atishi’, Arvind Kejriwal big claim

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New Delhi, Dec 25: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that there were plans to arrest Delhi Chief Minister Atishi by framing her in fake cases in the next few days and plans were also underway to conduct raids on senior party leaders ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly election.

This comes after the national capital’s Health and Family Welfare department red-flagged the ruling AAP’s registration drive for Sanjeevani Yojana, a scheme to provide free treatment to Delhi’s residents over 60 at private and government hospitals. In a public notice published in newspapers on Wednesday, the department said that it does not have “any such supposed Sanjeevani scheme in existence”. It added that it had not authorised anyone to collect personal data from elderly citizens and is not providing any card. The department said any individual or political party collecting such forms under the name of this scheme is “fraudulent and without any authority”.

Kejriwal claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi would soon be arrested in a fake case as some people were rattled by the AAP government’s announcement of welfare initiatives like the Mahila Samman Yojana and the Sanjeevani Yojana.

“These people are badly upset by the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana. They have planned to arrest Atishi ji in the next few days by making a fake case. Before that, raids will be conducted on senior AAP leaders. I will hold a press conference on this today at 12 o’clock,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.

The two AAP flagship schemes — Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana — were announced in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly Elections scheduled early next year. Kejriwal started the registration process of the two schemes aimed at women and senior citizens on Tuesday and held the door-to-door campaign.

Non-tax-paying eligible women will get Rs 1,000 per month in the Mahila Samman Yojana. The Sanjeevani Yojana promises free healthcare in government and private hospitals for senior citizens if AAP comes to power.

This comes after AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Atishi and party convener Arvind Kejriwal, visited several areas and launched doorstep registration for the Sanjeevani Yojana and Mahila Samman Yojana.

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Fraudulent, without authority: Two Delhi govt departments red-flag AAP’s ‘election’ schemes

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New Delhi, Dec 25: The Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi, on Wednesday issued a public notice refuting claims regarding the existence of the ‘Sanjeevani Scheme’ and ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.’

The Women and Child Development Department stated it has been alerted through media and social media reports that a political party is claiming to offer ₹2,100 per month to women in Delhi under the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.’

The department clarified, “No such scheme has been notified by the Delhi government.”

The public notice, published in national newspapers, emphasised, “Since no such scheme is in existence, the question of accepting forms or applications for registration under this non-existent scheme does not arise. Any private person or political party collecting forms or information under this name is committing fraudulent and has no authority.”

Similarly, the Health and Family Welfare Department denied the existence of claims promising free medical treatment for individuals aged 60 and above at all government or private hospitals in Delhi, regardless of income criteria.

The department urged citizens to disregard such promises, terming them “misleading and unauthorised.” It also declared it would not bear responsibility for any liabilities or fraudulent activities arising from these false claims.

These statements come in the wake of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) door-to-door registration drive for two alleged welfare schemes: the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana,’ which promises ₹2,100 monthly to women, and the ‘Sanjeevani Yojana,’ which assures free medical treatment for individuals aged above 60 years.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized the opportunity to bash AAP and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi BJP vice president Kapil Mishra slammed Kejriwal for misleading the public, stating, “What a big fraud Kejriwal is committing with the sisters of Delhi. On one side, Kejriwal is getting women to fill forms; on the other side, the Delhi government’s notice in today’s newspapers says there is no such scheme, and these forms are fake.”

Mocking the AAP leader, he concluded, “Wah re Farjiwal.”

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‘Delhi Chalo’ March: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Accuses Centre Of Ignoring Farmers’ Demands

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Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for what he alleged, meting out step-motherly treatment to the farmers by not even giving them an opportunity to air their demands.

In a statement, the chief minister alleged that Prime Minister Modi appeared to be more worried about intervening in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine but was indifferent towards the farmers.

Mann further alleged that despite the immense contribution of farmers, the Union government appears to have adopted a hostile attitude towards them and held that it is strange that the Union government is not ready to talk to farmers sitting 200 km away from the national capital.

Urging the Union government to shun its haughty attitude and open way for dialogue with the agitating farmers, Mann said that the centre should not wait for any special moment to talk to the farmers, rather it should hold talks with the farmers and redress their grievances immediately.

Earlier in the day, Mann also posted on X: “ The central government should abandon its old stubbornness and open the way for talks with the farmers’ organizations… A cat does not run away when a pigeon winks.. I don’t know what penance the central government is doing now?? If Modi ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can’t he talk to the breadwinners sitting 200 kilometers away? What time are you waiting for..’’

It may be recalled that a large number of farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana under the aegis of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha since February 13 last and had repeatedly attempted to take out their “Delhi chalo’’ foot-march towards Delhi but were stopped by the Haryana police by lobbing teargas shells and using water cannons which left several farmers injured.

Also, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 70, a cancer patient, has also been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border since November 26 last to press for farmers’ various demands including MSP for crops and debt waiver. The doctors attending on him have also expressed their concerns about his worsening health.

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